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An old satellite dish, running boards from a truck, a television, a printer — all the miscellaneous items in the back of Diane Carter’s car had to go. But they didn’t have to go into a landfill.

“We didn’t want to just throw it away,” Carter said. “Especially if it was harmful to the environment. This stuff was just sitting around.”

So Carter became one of 412 cars to pull through the Community Recycling Drop-off on Saturday morning to dispose of a variety of items in an environmentally friendly manner.

“We’re so lucky that we have so many people who care so much about the environment,” Carter said.

In three hours, volunteers at the event collected 60 cubic yards of scrap metal and appliances, hundreds of gallons of paint, 200 pairs of skis and 60 cubic yards of electronics, among a host of other items that might look like trash to some.

“I can’t say enough about the community effort it takes to put this event on,” said Anne Mudgett, fund coordinator for the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council. “We couldn’t have done it without the volunteers who stood in the cold and rain to direct traffic, answer questions and unload cars. And we certainly couldn’t have done it without the recycling partners and sponsors.”

The event was co-sponsored by the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council and Yampa Valley Recycles, with support from several partners. Organizations such as Waste Management and Twin-Enviro Services were on hand to help people recycle and sort their items, while several other smaller booths offered ultra-specific recycling opportunities.

Ski Haus had a booth with boxes for recycling bicycle tires, shoes and wine corks.

Safeway was on hand to collect plastic bags, the Sustainability Council’s Sustainable Schools Program had options for recycling potato chip bags and used cellphones.

Twin Enviro Services took care of organic materials for composting, motor oil and paint, and used sports equipment and appliances to be sold at Home ReSource.

The Macedonian Mission for Humanity, city of Steamboat Springs, Routt County, Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp., NAPA Auto Parts and Cartridge World also participated.

Waste Management provided services for single-stream recyclables, corrugated cardboard and electronics like old computers and audio equipment.

Steve Johnson, district operations manager at Waste Management, said his crew of workers was enjoying interacting with their neighbors and friends as they hauled off giant speakers and fax machines, which will be sent to Waste Management in Denver to be recycled.

“It’s fun because people are so appreciative and excited to have this opportunity,” Johnson said. “It’s a fabulous community gathering.”

In addition to Saturday’s cleanup event, the Cents for Steamboat program and Colorado Mountain College collected more than 3,400 fluorescent light bulbs Thursday and Friday from local businesses looking to safely recycle the mercury-based bulbs.

Several other cleanup, recycling and sustainable-themed events took place throughout the week as part of the Every Day is Earth Day celebration, with Saturday’s highway cleanup and recycling drop-off serving as the culmination.

Emilie Rogers, Yampa Valley Recycles administrator, said the event was more than just an opportunity for community members to clean out their closets or garages.

“I think it encourages people to do the right thing,” Rogers said. “And it gives people an opportunity to learn about all the things that are recyclable.”

To reach Nicole Inglis, call 970-871-4204 or email ninglis@SteamboatToday.com