As part of a yearly initiative to keep people from throwing hazardous waste in the garbage, the Dover Township municipal building was the site where people brought their hazardous material for disposal on May 3. The yearly event rotates through York County communities, so that it is geographically accessible to the county's residents. (Weekly Record -- Bil Bowden)

The word "poison" usually invokes the notion of some serious chemicals.

Poison is those cleaners under the sink or anything with a "Mr. Yuck" sticker attached.

Rarely does the word poison make people think about the technology they use every day.

But if they're not disposed of properly, the electronics that make lives easier can be every bit as dangerous.

Cell phones, computers, televisions and printers -- anything with a circuit board -- contain small amounts of lead, cadmium, mercury and other chemicals.

And if those chemicals aren't disposed of properly, they can get in to the environment and pollute and soil, water and air.

"People have really shifted their attention and become far more aware," said Ellen O'Connor, spokeswoman for the York County Solid Waste Authority.

In March, the authority held an electronics recycling day, inviting the community to bring old electronics in for recycling or safe disposal.

The authority invited all 72 municipalities in the county to participate in the drive at no cost -- all they had to do was provide a central location where people could bring their electronics -- and 12 did: Dallastown, Dillsburg, Jefferson and Red Lion boroughs; Fairview, Lower Windsor, Penn, Shrewsbury, Warrington, Windsor and York townships; and the City of York.

The program is in its seventh year, and O'Connor said the drive doubled the tonnage of waste collected in 2007.

She said that while no date has been scheduled yet, the Solid

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Waste Authority is considering holding another e-waste collection day after the Christmas holidays. With the upcoming switch from analog to digital cable, she said, she expects that a lot of people will be throwing away their old television sets.

But more remains to be done. A recent panel testifying on Capitol Hill before the House Committee on Science and Technology found that only 10 to 15 percent of electronics ever reach recyclers. Instead, they go to landfills and junkyards, where they

On May 3, the Dover Township municipal building was the site for people to bring hazardous material for disposal. (Weekly Record -- Bil Bowden)
can break down and release their chemicals into the environment.

The industry is working on the problem. A number of computer companies have instituted take-back programs where for free or for a small amount of money -- usually less than $10 -- they'll accept old computers and take them to recyclers.

Staples also accepts ink and toner cartridges, cell phones, rechargeable batteries, as well as computers and peripherals, such as mice and keyboards.

Some companies even offer a way to make a little money on used electronics. Some e-waste collectors pay small amounts (a dollar or two, usually) to people who bring their e-waste in for recycling. Those are companies who are able to refurbish old computers and other devices and sell them for profit.


HOW TO GET RID OF HAZARDOUS WASTE

Unlike computers and other electronics, the term "household hazardous waste" doesn't leave much to the imagination when it comes to wondering whether it's dangerous.

And while it might be clear that they're not to be toyed with, homeowners often aren't sure what to do with items that are corrosive (drain cleaners or bleach), flammable (gasoline), reactive (chemistry kits) or toxic (pesticides).

So, fresh on the heels of its March electronic waste collection day, the York County Solid Waste Authority held a household hazardous waste collection day May 3.

Accepted items included: mercury thermometers; liquid mercury; auto products such as transmission and brake fluids, antifreeze and batteries; pesticides, herbicides and insecticides; fluorescent light bulbs; gasoline; kerosene; rechargeable batteries; photographic and pool chemicals; driveway sealant; and household cleansers such as those for ovens and drains.

But some items that many people think are hazardous can actually be disposed of in the regular garbage, said YCSWA spokeswoman Ellen O'Connor.

Items such as latex and oil-based paint, turpentine, varnish and paint strippers should be sealed tightly and then may be thrown into the regular garbage.

The same goes for alkaline batteries.

In 2007, the authority collected 15 tons of household hazardous waste in its fall and spring programs. This is the program's 23rd year.

It rotates through York County communities, so that it is geographically accessible to the county's residents.

This year the event was held in the municipal parking lot in Dover Township.


QUICK Q and A

ELLEN O'CONNOR, spokeswoman for the York County Solid Waste Authority, answers some questions about e-cycling.

Q: Why recycle instead of just trashing the items?

A: "It's much, much better for the environment than burning it or putting it in a landfill," O'Connor has said.

Old electronics can contain potentially harmful heavy metals such as copper and lead, she said. One old computer monitor can hold up to
8 pounds of lead.

Anything that isn't burned or put in a landfill helps reduce the "carbon footprint" left behind and reduce production of other greenhouses gases, she said.

Q: Where do the items go?

A: The authority has contracted with eco International to take the items. The company will be able to recycle about 90 percent of the haul, O'Connor said.

Q: Where is the authority?

A: The York County Solid Waste Authority is at 2700 Blackbridge Road, Manchester Township.


YOU CAN RECYCLE OLD ELECTRONICS at Affordable Computers, 455 Carlisle St., Hanover, 646-0880.

Products accepted: circuit boards, computer monitors, power supplies, hard drives, computer towers, printers, laptops, keyboards/mice, cables and wires, servers, LCD screens, modems, mainframes, data storage units, server racks, computer components, network equipment

Source:
www.ElectronicsRecycling.org