You can partner with Hempstead Town to help keep our planet healthy. Why not participate in our "E-Cycling" Program this Saturday, March 11, in Levittown from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine. This is your chance to get rid of your unwanted computers, television, DVD players and VCRs and help the environment at the same time. The event will take place in the Town of Hempstead municipal parking lot area, located just off Division Avenue (behind the Tri-County Market in Levittown).

The town's first-ever e-cycle event, held in Oct. 2005, was a resounding success as more than 900 residents dropped off a total of 39 tons of used computers and computer components at the town's Greenfield Cemetery Garage in Uniondale.

By properly disposing electronic products, town residents are preventing hazardous materials, such as lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium, from entering the waste stream. Specifically, the glass screens in computer monitors and televisions can contain as much as 27 percent lead. In addition, electronics contain valuable resources. Electronic products are made of precious metals, engineered plastics, glass and other materials. Many of the parts can be profitably refurbished and reused.

For more information on e-cycling, residents should call the Town of Hempstead Department of Sanitation at 378-2200. Directions to the town's Division Avenue parking lot are as follows: From Wantagh Parkway - take exit W3 East, proceed on Hempstead Turnpike for one-quarter of a mile and make a left onto Division Avenue. Make a right into the parking lot and follow signs for e-cycling event.

Another e-cycling event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28 at Greenfield Cemetery Garage in Uniondale. Another e-cycling program is open to Town of Hempstead residents only (no businesses, non-commercial vehicles only).

If you have any old computers or televisions that you want to dispose of, I urge you to participate in our e-cycling program. Let's work together to help save the planet.