Electronic equipment is full of toxic chemicals. These materials are not a risk to the user, but can be a severe environmental risk when disposed of improperly.
NEWS FLASH!
Beginning June 1st, 2011, Jefferson County and its contract recycler will join Washington State’s E-Cycle Washington program which will allow our customers at the Jefferson County Recycle Center a fee-free way to dispose of unwanted computers and other electronic equipment. See the E-Cycle Washington link to the right for more information. Until June 1st, the cost for recycling electronics is $0.35 per pound.
Jefferson County is following regional and national efforts to encourage computer and television manufacturers to:
- Design products that are more easily recycled
- Design products that last longer, with replaceable parts
- Take back products for rebuilding or recycling
- Develop environmentally sound products and develop recycling programs
- Include the costs of these practices in the product price to be paid by the consumer
Right now the residents of Jefferson County have these options for computers:
- Upgrade your computer instead of discarding it
- If the computer is truly broken or obsolete, bag it several times to make sure that the monitor remains contained, and dispose of it along with your regular garbage
- Port Townsend Goodwill is now accepting electronics to recycle for FREE!!! Contact them at 360-385-6600 for more information.
- Take It Back Networkrecyclers accept a variety of electronic equipment such as computers, monitors, printers, TVs, cell phones, PDAs, fax machines, stereos, DVD and VCR players, household electronics and rechargeable batteries.
- King County Take It Back Network: http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/takeitback/electronics/index.asp
- Snohomish County Take It Back Network: http://www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Public_Works/Divisions/SolidWaste/TakeItBack/
- Check with the company that manufactured your computer to see if they have a take-back program.
- Dell: http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/cr-dell-earth-recycling.aspx
- Gateway: http://www.gateway.com/about/corp_responsibility/env_recycle.php
- Apple: http://www.apple.com/recycling/computer/
- Hewlett-Packard: http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/environment/recycling/product-recycling.html
- IBM: http://www.ibm.com/ibm/recycle/us/ups_home_pickup.shtml
Computer donation options.
- If the computer still works you can donate it.
- Lonny Loftin, the Director of Information Services for Olympic Community Action Programs 360-385-2571 ext. 6350
- Wilderness Technology Alliance: http://www.wildtech.org/donate.htm
- Computers-4-Kids: http://www.k12.wa.us/EdTech/Computers4kids/default.aspx
Other web sites that may be of interest to concerned consumers include the following:
- Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition: www.svtc.org
- Basel Action Network: www.ban.org
- Zero Waste Washington: http://www.zerowastewashington.org/
