Free recycling of televisions, laptop and desktop computers and monitors will be available in Clallam and Jefferson counties starting Friday, thanks to the new E-Cycle Washington program.
That means no one needs to throw away such gear and add to already-stuffed landfills, said John Friederick of the Washington Materials Management & Financing Authority, organizer of E-Cycle Washington.
Households, businesses, school districts, government agencies and nonprofit groups can take advantage of the free program.
The state Electronic Product Recycling Act requires electronics makers to pay for E-Cycle Washington, and the companies collecting equipment must adhere to state Department of Ecology standards for responsible recycling.
For information visit Ecology’s Web site, www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/eproduct recycle.
Where to go
In Clallam County, eCycle Northwest at 272693 U.S. Highway 101, on the water side 1.5 miles east of the 7 Cedars Casino, is one of the collection sites.
Owner Dan Tharp said people can drop off the recyclable electronics between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays or by appointment in January.
Tharp can be reached at 360-681-8645 or 360-775-0467.
The Port Angeles Goodwill at 603 S. Lincoln St. in Port Angeles is another dropoff site, as is Port Townsend’s Goodwill at 602 Howard St.
School districts, small businesses and small governments with more than 10 units to recycle should phone the authority at 1-866-779-6632 for instructions on handling larger quantities.
The Goodwill stores, Friederick said, may resell TVs and computers that are still in working order.
In the case of TV sets, however, older models may be a lot less desirable after Feb. 17. That’s when full-power television stations will switch from analog to digital signals.
Viewers who subscribe to cable or satellite TV service won’t be affected by the changeover.
But those who pick up the over-the-air signal, with set-top “rabbit ears” or a rooftop antenna, will need converter boxes. Manufacturers estimate a box will cost $40 to $70.
Both Friederick and Tharp expect a healthy flow of TVs and computers to hit E-Cycle collection sites in January.
Friederick stressed that there is no need to rush to the nearest dropoff point.
No rush for dropoff
“We don’t want to overwhelm the sites,” he said. E-Cycle Washington is an ongoing program.
Tharp, for his part, hopes to see more consumer awareness of electronic waste.
“We need to think about what our children are going to have to deal with when they grow up,” he said.
Friederick anticipates more than 20 million pounds of electronic waste streaming in to dropoff sites just in 2009.
Much of that would have ended up in landfills, he said, noting that electronic equipment can release toxic materials into the environment.
He also expects some confusion, since things like computer mouses, printers, cell phones, scanners and other electrical devices and appliances aren’t part of the free recycling program.
Sites such as eCycle Northwest charge to process such products.
For more information about E-Cycle Washington, visit www.wmmfa.net.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
