Recycle Your Computer!

If you live in Washington state--as I do--here’s a bit of Greene news for you. On January 1st 2009, a new program, called E-Cycle Washington, went into effect. It enables citizens to recycle their old electronics (televisions, computers, monitors, and laptops) free, so it's both GREENE and FROOGLE. Keep reading, and you'll learn HOWE, as well.

According to the Tacoma News Tribune, the collection, transportation, and processing are paid for by electronics manufacturers who do business in Washington state.

The New Tribune reports that "At least 17 other states have electronic recycling laws, but Washington’s is regarded as particularly innovative because it puts the responsibility for recycling on electronics manufacturers instead of taxpayers.

“'No taxpayer money is going into the program,' said John Friedrick, executive director of the Washington Materials Management and Financing Authority, the manufacturers’ organization responsible for setting up and operating the recycling network.

“'The program is 100 percent funded by the manufacturers that sell electronics within the state of Washington,' Friedrick said."

Miles Kuntz of the state Department of Ecology was interviewed by The Kitsap Sun, which quotes Kuntz as saying, "Once residents drop off their laptops, computers, monitors and televisions, the equipment is taken to two processing centers, one in Vancouver and the other in Seattle. There, components such as circuit boards, leaded glass, toxins, plastics and metals are separated out, and sent on for further processing.

"'They become commodities,' Kuntz said."


Want more details? Visit the E-Cycle Washington website.

Have a computer that could be re-used, rather than recyled? Try
interconnection.org,
freegeek.org,
or Consumer Report's greenerchoices.org