Electronics recycling: How are we doing?

by Don Audette, Winter-Spring 2007

 
electronic trash
  Electronics to be recycled at the Amissville landfill. Photo by Don Audette.

According to staff at the Amissville Landfill, Rappahannock County is doing well with its electronics recycling program. Residents pay a small fee to take electronic devices containing hazardous and toxic materials safely out of circulation.

A computer monitor or a TV set may contain seven pounds of lead. The components contain other nasty materials:

  • Circuit boards—copper, chromium, lead solder, zinc, and nickel
  • Relays and switches—mercury
  • Older capacitors—mercury
  • Batteries—nickel, cadmium and other heavy metals

This is stuff you do not want to get into the soil or groundwater.

You can recycle ink-jet cartridges in Rappahannock County, thanks to county resident Cherl Crews, who initiated and is running a "Cartridges for Kids" (www.cartridgesforkids.com). Drop off cartridges at one of the following locations, and Rappahannock County schools will receive money for the recycled cartridges:

  • Flatwood Refuse
  • Amissville Landfill
  • Hackley's Store (Amissville)
  • Laurel Mills Store
  • Blue Ridge Mac
  • Rappahannock County Library
  • Rappahannock County Treasurer's Office or County Clerk's Office
 
   

Devices such as TVs, computers, monitors, copiers, and uninterruptable power supplies should be taken to the Amissville Landfill office, where a small fee takes care of their recycling. The electronics equipment is hauled away about every two months by AERS Recycling Solutions.

Disposal of keyboards, mice, printers, cell-phones, cabling, VCRs, stereos, fax machines, PDAs, printers, gameboys, and batteries is free. The Amissville Landfill can also take care of hazardous florescent tubes and vehicle batteries for free.

Why doesn't Flatwood handle electronics recycling? Rappahannock County Administrator John McCarthy offers three reasons:

"First, DEQ heavily regulates electronics recycling efforts and they are more comfortable having them at places where there are at least two employees. Second, the 25-foot recycling container costs $75 per month in rental charges, and this, along with the fees of the end user, means we'd have to charge more if they filled up slower. Third, Flatwood is becoming a bit crowded. Although the argument that 'volume doesn't seem to warrant it' can be met with 'volume would increase if you provided an easier venue,' the same logic could be applied for fluorescent light bulbs, car batteries, and the few other items we recycle only at the Amissville landfill."

 
Fees for Electronics Recycling
Rappahannock vs Fauquier County
Rapp. Co.
Fauquier
CPU (monitor only)
$10
$8
CPU (non monitor)
$5
free
Laptop computer
$10
free
UPS back-up
$7
$5
TV (under 13")
$7
$12
TV (over 13")
$15
$20
Small copiers/fax
$10
free
Large stand-alone copiers
$30
$80
All other electronics
free
free
   

In short, it would cost taxpayers more to duplicate capabilities. The box above shows the fees for electronics recycling at Amissville, with fees for similar recycling in Fauquier County, for comparison. Culpeper, Warren, and Page counties have no electronics recycling program.

The Amissville landfill hours are Monday–Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. You can also recycle or dispose of electronic waste by contacting electronics manufacturers and retailers posted on EPA's "Plug-In to eCycling."

 

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