Upriver Joins Countywide Electronic Recycling Competition

McKenzie River Community School is inviting students, families and residents to clean out old electronics and support both education and the environment by taking part in the 2026 Schools Electronic Recycling Competition.

The effort, which runs from January through April, is a partnership with NextStep Recycling, a Lane County–based nonprofit electronic recycler. Recycling bins will be delivered to the McKenzie school campus later this month, making it easy for the school community to drop off unwanted electronics and keep them out of local landfills.

Community members who are unable to bring items to the school can still participate by taking electronic waste to NextStep’s donation center at 245 Jackson St. in Eugene. Items dropped off there can be credited toward McKenzie Schools as part of the competition. A flyer outlining accepted materials is being shared by the school to help donors prepare their items.

School officials say the competition is an opportunity to reduce clutter at home while supporting sustainability and local education at the same time.

NextStep Recycling is a volunteer-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free electronics recycling for residential, municipal and commercial users. The organization’s mission is to provide technology access and job training for people facing barriers to employment and education, while protecting communities from hazardous electronic waste.

NextStep refurbishes usable electronics for reuse and ensures that non-repairable items are recycled through Oregon Department of Environmental Quality–approved processors. The organization works with e-Stewards and R2-certified recyclers and follows strict standards to protect personal data. Smaller hard drives are physically dismantled, while larger drives are securely wiped according to National Institute of Standards and Technology guidelines.

Residential drop-off is free, and most donated items are tax-deductible. NextStep’s recycling center is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., near the corner of Jackson Street and West Second Avenue in Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood.

For more information, community members can contact NextStep Recycling at 541-686-2366 or watch for additional details from McKenzie River Community School about on-campus collection dates.