Electronics recycling scheduled for Saturday at Sam's
By Andrew Bell
Published in News on November 17, 2005 1:45 PM
Keep Wayne County Beautiful is urging Wayne County residents to get rid of their old computers, TVs and VCRs on Saturday by taking part in its annual Electronics Recycling Day.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Sam's Club on North Park Drive.
Simmone Cato, the director of Keep Wayne County Beautiful, said the event is one of the most popular the organization sponsors each year, with people coming across the county.
"At the last one we got over 30,000 pounds, over 15 tons, of electronics," she said.
The organization will accept computer equipment such as PCs, printers, keyboards, scanners, mice, monitors, circuit boards and hard drives. If anyone has inkjet or laser cartridges, Mrs. Cato said those will be accepted as well. Also, telephones, cell phones, answering machines, pagers and typewriters will be taken for recycling. Although Mrs. Cato said no appliances will be accepted, entertainment equipment including cameras, televisions, VCRs and camcorders are welcome for drop off.
Franklin's Recycling Co. participates in this event free of charge. If company officials weren't willing to provide the service the cost could be too high for the organization to hold the event, Mrs. Cato said.
"If the company accepts electronics at 22 cents per pound, that would cost a lot at 30,000 pounds," she said. "This way, it is easier for us and we both provide a service to the community."
Although electronics make up less than 4 percent of the waste going to landfills, they can make up as much as 70 percent of the hazardous waste. Cathode ray tubes, found mostly in computer monitors and televisions, are banned by federal law from being disposed of in landfills or incinerators. They can contain five to seven pounds of lead each, creating a major environmental concern.
Franklin Recycling will salvage parts that can be used in the next generation of electronic goods. For example, a computer can be stripped down to save its expensive copper wiring, Mrs. Cato said, or the plastics used to protect a computer's components can be ground up and reused in the production of another computer. Used computers in good working order can be donated to schools or youth groups, Mrs. Cato added.
For more information, call 731-1600.