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Counties scrop free electronics recycling
Officials said they can no longer
afford to host the free events
because of changes in state law
and the falling price of
commodities like copper and
plastic that electronics contain.
By JAMES MCGINNIS
STAFF WRITER
Old, unwanted and toxic,
the recycled electronics collected in Bucks County last
year could have filled 30
53-foot tractor-trailers, officials estimated.
At the six-hour event
last summer, the county
said it collected a quartermillion pounds of old
cellphones, computers and televisions.
But, this year, many of those same
devices could end up in a ditch.
Officials in Bucks and Montgomery
counties said they can no longer afford
to host free electronics-recycling events
because of changes in state law and the falling price of commodities like copper and
plastic that those electronics contain.
Pennsylvania's Department
of Environmental Protection advises area residents
to check with local retailers for nearby recycling
options. But call first.
Many stores only accept
certain types of devices
and only in certain sizes.
And some may charge a
See RECYCLE, Page A4
Electr~_nics
Recycling
E-Waste Experts said it has three
.
electronics recycling events scheduled
in Bucks County. Cellphones, computers, televisions, radios, wires, VCRs
and DVD players will be accepted.
Refrigerators and air conditioners will
not be accepted. All are open to Bucks
County residents.
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 28 outside
FDR Middle School, 1001 Veterans
Highway, Bristol Township.
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April18 outside
Council Rock High School South, 2002
Rock Way, Northampton.
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April25 at
Buttonwood Park, off Main Street,
Yardley.
Recycle
Continued from Page A3
fee to recycle electronic
devices.
At one time, the government was only to happy to
take your old TV and sell it
for parts. Some events even
turned a small profit.
But those days are over,
said Arthur Feltes, recycling coordinator for Bucks
County.
"The' value has dropped
almost by half in the space
of six months," said Feltes.
"This is not just affecting
us. 'It'~ affecting Delaware
and Chester county and
Philadelphia."
Montgomery County
could find no''cost-neutral"
options for recycling events.
"Responsible recyclers were contracted by
the counties to collect,
transport and recycle the
electronics," said Jessica
Willingham of Montgomery's public affairs office.
"The county will continue
to pursue solutions for our
residents."
Bucks and Montgomery counties were never
required by law to hold
recycling events. Pennsylvania's recycling law,
adopted three years ago,
puts the onus for recycling
on the electronics manufacturers. For every pound
of electronics 'sold in Pennsylvania, the manufacturers
must recycle the equivalent, according to the law.
And that's part of the
problem, argues Carl
Brown, president and
founder ofE-Waste Experts
Inc., based in Bristol
Township.
"Remember bow big
and heavy those old televisions used to be?" asks
Brown. "The new devices
are getting lighter and the
old devices are still heavy."
"(The price of) copper
is down 35 percent," he
explained. "When oil goes
down, the price of plastic
drops. How do I make up
for that loss?"
But Feltes said he's
more concemed about the
environment. He dreads the
day when old televisions
become "the new tire on the
side ofthe road."
"Someone's grandkids
buy them a newer version
television and suddenly
grandma has larger, older
model she can't get rid of,"
he imagines. "She can't
recycle and (the old TV)
ends up in the yard."
For now, though,
grandma has another
two months of free
government-sponsored
recycling at three E-Waste
Services events scheduled
in Lower Bucks between
now and May. Those collections were scheduled
months earlier with area
municipalities and school
districts.
During those events,
E-Waste said it will accept
cellphones, computers,
printers, radios, televisions, wires la nd even old
video games. Air conditioners or refrigerators will be
turned away. The full list of
accepted materials is posted
at ewasteexperts.com.
The first event, sponsored by the Bristol Township School District, is
March 28. Items will be
collected from 9 a.m. to.
1 p.m. outside FDR Middle
School at 1001 Veterans
Highway. Officials in Bucks
County directed all Bucks
residents to that event.
Council Rock High
School South will host
the second E-Waste event
on April18. Items will be
collected from 9 a.m. to
1 p.m. outside the high
school at 2002 Rock Way in
Northampton. Superintendent Mark Klein said the
event will be open to all.
Yardley has partnered
withE-Waste for the
third event. Items will be
.
~
collected April 25 from '
9 a.m. to 1 p:m. at Buttonwood Park off Main Street.
Borough officials said all
are invited, not just Yardley
residents.
After that, Brown would
make no commitments on
free electronics recycling.
Change is coming to
E-Waste. The company's
phone number has been
changed to 1-877-DATAZAP, and Brown said he
plans to shift focus to offering data destruction services foi: companies as a way
to keep his business going
and his workers employed.
"We're seeing this kind
of thing across the country,"
Brown said. "Recycling
processors are going bankrupt. It's out of control."
DEP's provide a list of
local recycling options on
its website. The information is buried amid a series
of drop-down and sidebar
menus. Navigate to www.
depweb.state.pa.us, click
the sidebar link to "Waste,"
then "Recycling," and _then
"Electronics Recycling
Management Program."
James McG inn is: 2 15-704-0451;
email: jmcg [email protected]
Twitter : @James_McG innis