Frisco resident Jim Gockel recycles some unwanted barrel containers at the "Chunk Your Junk" event. Photo: friscogreenliving.com

By Bill Sullivan

Tired of watching all that cardboard piling up in his garage, Marvin Lowe decided it was time to do something about it.

Marvin Lowe waits in line at "Chunk Your Junk." Photo: friscogreenliving.com

A Frisco resident since 2007, Lowe arrived at the August 14 “Chunk Your Junk” event at Frisco Environmental Services in a U-Haul truck, rented just for the occasion. Once he opened the back and exposed the cargo area, you could clearly see why.

“Just boxes that had piled up over the last several months,” he said. “With kids, you can end up with a lot of cardboard.”

Evidently. The U-Haul was about half full, but Lowe had come to the right place. With a little help, he unloaded the cardboard and was on his way to drop off the rest of his items before calling it a very productive day.

Making the most of the opportunity, Marvin Lowe rented a U-Haul to chunk his junk. Photo: friscogreenliving.com

“This is a great deal,” he said. “Definitely worth coming back.”

While not everyone was quite as opportunistic as Mr. Lowe, Frisco residents took advantage of a sunny summer Saturday to unburden themselves of all kinds of no-longer-wanted items. According to Environmental Services Manager Pippa Couvillion, 675 cars, trucks and SUVs made their way through the line, depositing everything from cardboard to expired prescription drugs to electronic equipment and household hazardous waste.

By day’s end, 276 cars had delivered hazardous waste items (chemicals, paint, etc.). Thirty-two television sets and 33 monitors were discarded as well.  Still-usable items filled two trucks that had come to gather up donations.

Despite soaring temperatures, Couvillion noted this was “Chunk Your Junk”’s “biggest turnout yet.” Most participants were in good spirits, and all seemed to agree that this was a good and convenient way to do the environmentally correct thing.

Terry Cornelius, who has lived in Frisco since 1998, brought some old TVs and printers. Even with the $15 charge for TVs and $10 for monitors, Cornelius considered it a bargain.

“I’d rather do that than dump it in the trash can,” he said. “We’ve got to start getting rid of our stuff the right way.”

Andre Zayco is a regular attendee because the event is so well organized. Photo: friscogreenliving.com

Andre Zayco was disposing of some out-of-commission electronic equipment, too.  Zayco said he has been coming to Chunk Your Junk for several years and looks forward to the opportunity.

“I like this event,” he said. “It’s so organized. It just flows. When they set a date, we start setting aside things we want to bring here.”

Like Cornelius, Zayco said he was happy to pay a nominal fee to say goodbye to an old computer monitor.

“That’s not a big deal,” he said. “It’s better than having it sitting in the garage.”

Ed Ordesch arrived with his own materials, and brought along some new neighbors, too.

“We’ve been using ‘Chunk Your Junk’ off and on since we moved here in ’99,” he said. “When you’re dealing with computer equipment, it’s easier to come here and let the city take care of it instead of me just throwing it in the trash bucket. It’s a great deal all around.”

If you didn’t make it out this time, “Chunk Your Chunk” will be back. The next event is scheduled for Nov. 6 – just in time to clear a little garage and closet space for the holidays.

For more information, including what you can bring and any charges that may apply, click here.