Austin area residents loaded up the Mower County Fairgrounds with nearly seven semi-trailer loads of old electronics at a free recycling event Saturday.

Mower County Engineer Mike Hanson said between six and seven semi-trailer loads of electronics were gathered at the event, which was hosted by the city of Austin, Mower County and 5R Processors.

“It was a smashing success,” Hanson said. “It went beyond what we thought it would.”

Hanson said a perk of the electronics recycling event is that the electronics won’t end up in the county’s waste stream or dumped some place where city or county officials would be responsible for cleaning it up.

“It’s a public service,” he said.

City Administrator Jim Hurm volunteered at the event and said cars were lined up at 9 a.m. when the gates opened. Austin police were called in for traffic control at one point, too.

Hurm said cars were backed up to Oakland Avenue. at times.

“Almost all day there was a pretty good line of vehicles with electronics and other things to recycle,” Hurm said. “I would call it a very successful day.”

Hurm and Hanson said the recycling event is definitely something that will be repeated in the future, due to its success this year.