Okanagan residents had some help to do spring cleaning on Saturday and diverted junk from landfills in the process.

London Drugs locations across the valley held a recycling roundup event, where the public could drop off residential recycling.

Among the items brought in were microwaves, TVs, old computers, printers and VCRs. 

Penticton London Drugs assistant manager Karen Muir points out their stores accept more than just electronic devices — including plastics and styrofoam from grocery stores, and empty beverage containers.

"There's a lot of different items that customers were not aware of, and that's part of the event today."

Muir says in Penticton alone, they collected about 1,000 pounds of recyclable items during Saturday's five-hour event.

And apart from saving waste from ending up in landfills, Muir says the event is educational for people as well.

"Deciding what can go to recycle bins and what London Drugs will take, because sometimes there's a variation. We'll do some things that your recycle bin won't do," Muir says.

"Especially if there's data, we want to make sure that your data is removed and removed properly, because you don't want that out."

London Drugs collects recycling year round in store, Muir says, adding Penticton's location had a waste diversion rate of nearly 92 per cent last year.

"We're hoping this year we're going to actually get a little bit higher, which should be very easy to do. It's just about having that awareness."