“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”
— Groucho Marx
Were you affected by the recent switch to television switch to an antennae-free world? Has the time come to invest in a new laptop computer, making your old desk-top obsolete? Every day, the nation’s landfills climb higher, filled with unwanted electronics, appliances and devices. But did you know that you can actually recycle this electronic waste (known as “e-waste”)?
The nation’s landfills are rapidly filling up with these discards. And the recent television conversion is just one reason for the city’s landfill surplus. In a 2007 report, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that there were 234.6 million electronic parts and related materials, including those from TVs, cell phones, and computers, with much headed for either disposal or recycling.
The city of Salt Lake City, Utah offers a good snapshot of this growing environmental threat — as well as the efforts being made to fight the problem. “We’ve been getting inundated,” states Dorothy Adams, household hazardous waste coordinator for the Salt Lake Valley Health Department. “We’re filling these [e-waste] bins up so fast, it’s crazy.”
Salt Lake City provides free e-waste disposal at two landfills: Trans Jordan and Salt Lake Valley. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, these sites have seen 20% increases in e-waste. And it’s true that recycling e-waste offers financial rewards for the city. So far in 2009, an estimated 88 tons of e-waste have been recycled for only $30,000.
Plus, these recycling efforts remove potentially hazardous materials from the public. After all, these devices may contain heavy metals and other toxic materials, such as lead, mercury, and flame-retardant chemicals. But according to Eric Anderson of GRX (Guaranteed Recycling Experts), only about 10% of the nation’s population has realized the benefits of recycling electronics.
The bottom line is that many people avoid e-recycling because of the inconvenience and costs. However, efforts are being made across the country to fix these problems. For example, the state of Washington provides a free, statewide, take-back program. For 2009, three million pounds have been collected each month; around 57% of this has been TVs.
Remember, electronics cannot be placed in your dumpster rental. Visit DumpsterSource.com for more information on prohibited items from your next dumpster rental.
