In the News -
December 2007
TVs and Computers and Cell Phones - Oh, My! Recycle Old Electronics after the Holidays
LITTLE ROCK - So you were good this year and Santa brought you a new
flat-panel television, or a laptop computer, or the all-in-one cell phone
everyone was clamoring for. So what do you do with the clunky set, the obsolete
desktop power unit and the old PDA?
As consumers, we’re in quite a quandary when it comes to dispensing
electronics we’ve upgraded or no longer use. Throwing them away seems wrong (in
addition to being dangerous and banned in Arkansas beginning 2008), and you may
be hesitant about contributing these items to charity as they may contain
sensitive personal information.
To cope with this situation, there are several options available to reuse and
recycle your old electronics to keep the environment healthy and may help others
as well as.
"The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has research
indicating electronic waste is growing at three times the rate of other
municipal waste, such as food, periodicals and other household trash," said
Suzanne Hirrel, environmental management specialist with the University of
Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
"Because electronic waste contains hazardous material like lead, mercury and hexavalent
chromium, people throwing away computers and televisions can release these
toxins into the environment and cause us harm."
There are some ways you can retain the value of your electronics, keep them
out of landfills and reduce the negative impact on the environment. First, ask
around amongst your own family and friends to see if they could use what you no
longer need. A niece or nephew may adore you for a video game, regardless that
it’s not the most cutting-edge thing, and a recently-graduated college student
may love receiving a television they don’t have to buy.
"If you’re looking to get rid of a cell phone because you received one with
more options, think about giving it to your parents or an elderly person," Hirrel said.
"It will give you and them peace of mind to know they are accessible when they
leave home."
Cell phones also can be donated to a myriad of nonprofits, including domestic
abuse shelters where people are working to build a better life for themselves
and their families.
Next, look at trade programs such as
freecycle.org, an online network of
people offering - at no charge - all manner of goods in their own towns.
Membership is free, and the goal of the organization is to reuse and keep "good
stuff out of landfills."
Another option is to contact the waste management facility in your town to
see when they accept electronics. For example, Pulaski County Residential
Electronic Recycling has locations throughout the county as well as special
events where citizens can drop off their electronics. For information about
Pulaski County Residential Electronic Recycling, access
http://www.pulaskiswdistrict.org/electronics.html. You also can contact your
regional solid waste management district at
http://www.adeq.state.ar.us/solwaste/regional_boards_sql.asp, local elected
officials or sanitation department to see if your community has an electronics
recycling center or is planning a one-day collection event.
GREEN-FED II, a program developed as a collaboration between Recycling
Business Group (UNICOR) and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)
is a zero-cost, e-scrap recycling program for all Arkansas residents, which
partners with UPS to let Arkansans ship - free of charge - their obsolete
electronics to UNICOR to be recycled. Access
http://www.unicor.gov/recycling/greenfed
for information about shipping.
You also can ask the retailer where you purchase new electronics if they
accept electronics for recycling. "When I got a new cell phone recently, I was
given an envelop to mail back my old one," Hirrel said. "I think some retailers
are doing this for computers as well.
"Regardless of the option you take, it’s important you keep electronics out
of landfills so we can all live in a healthier environment," Hirrel said. "Every
little bit that stays out of the landfill helps all of us tremendously."
For more information about recycling and waste management, visit extension's
Web site, www.uaex.edu, or contact your county extension agent. The Cooperative
Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
December 14, 2007
By Kelli Reep
For the Cooperative Extension Service
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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