YOUNGSTOWN — Numerous people dropped off old computers, cellphones, gaming consoles and other used electronics to be either safely recycled or properly disposed of during Oak Hill Collaborative’s e-waste collection drive.

People are concerned about personal information left on the devices so they are hesitant to throw them in the garbage, said Elizabeth Coss, the collaborative’s communications coordinator.

One person at Friday’s collection drive turned over 17 cellphones and four laptops that have been sitting for nearly 20 years in his basement.

The devices collected at the drive are given to GreenBoard IT of Warren, which has a federal certification to remove personal information from them.

GreenBoard either properly disposes the items or safely recycles them so they can be refurbished and used by those attending computer classes at Oak Hill, Coss said.

“It’s an amazing partnership,” she said. “There’s no security risk. If the items are not used, they’re destroyed.”

The Oak Hill Collaborative offers computer literacy classes at its 507 Oak Hill Ave. location through its Digital Advantage Initiative.

After completing eight classes, participants receive a free refurbished laptop, Coss said.

More than 8,000 pounds of unwanted electronics were dropped off Friday at the drive, said Pat Kerrigan, Oak Hill Collaborative’s executive director.

At Friday’s collection drive, items accepted included cellphones, laptops, personal computers, DVD players, MP3 players, gaming consoles, routers, hard drives, keyboards, scanners, monitors, cameras and other electronic devices.

This was the second e-waste collection drive held by the Oak Hill Collaborative. The first one took place in November.

The collaborative plans to have other drives in the future, Kerrigan said.

Oak Hill Collaborative is a nonprofit serving the Mahoning Valley. It seeks to leverage local and national resources to bridge the digital divide. It also provides laptops through its Hardware for Homes program.