Crook CountyCCNRD E-Cycling Event
E-Cycling Returns to Crook County!
Do you have outdated, broken, or unused electronics in your home? Bring them to the CCNRD Trailer at the 2010 Crook County Fair, and CCNRD will dispose of them properly. We will accept anything that plugs in or uses batteries EXCEPT white goods (microwaves OK) and monitors with holes in the screens.
Last week, CCNRD kicked off its latest e-cycling (electronics recycling) effort with a collection event in Hulett. The district offered e-cycling for the first time in 2009, gathering nearly five tons of broken, obsolete or unwanted electronics for proper disposal. CCNRD is excited to announce that the district will again be providing e-cycling opportunities in Crook County!
Electronics consist of many potentially hazardous substances and must be disposed of properly. Your old computer probably contains several pounds of lead as well as cadmium, mercury, chromium, polyvinyl chlorides, and other substances with known toxicological effects. E-waste (electronic waste) accounts for 70% of the toxins in U.S. landfills, even though it takes up only 2% of the space. To make matters worse, even as only 2% of our waste stream, e-waste is no small problem. According to one source, the U.S. throws out 130,000 computers a day and 100 million cell phones annually. Rapid technological developments, low initial costs, and even planned obsolescence on the parts of manufactures contribute to the growing e-waste problem.
E-cycling is a process through which old electronics are collected, disassembled, and the various components are reused. Many of the materials in electronics are valuable (i.e. precious metals, copper, engineered plastics, etc.) and require a significant amount of energy to process or manufacture. E-cycling 1 million cell phones could save enough energy to power more than 19,000 American households for a year! Reusing materials, decreasing energy use, and conserving virgin resources are all reasons to e-cycle.
We will be accepting electronics from the public (residential, not
commercial) at the Crook County Fair. If funding and collection capacity
permits, we may accept electronics from businesses at a later date.
Because our funding is limited, we do not know how many items we will be
able to take, so hurry and bring yours in! To learn more about where and
when the district will be accepting electronics, please call the office
at 283-2501.
More Information About E-Cycling
Today, most people depend heavily on electronic products from computers to televisions to cell phones. The EPA estimates that the average American household has 24 or more electronic devices (http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/index.htm). Most of us could not imagine daily life without our helpful electronic gadgets- they connect us to other people, help us find and process information, provide us with entertainment, and serve any number of other purposes. This plethora of gadgetry is supposed to simplify and improve modern life, and each technological advance is supposed to make our lives a little better. For instance, the recent analog to digital transition is supposed to improve emergency broadcast systems and bring the wonders of digital programming to more people. However, the troubling aspect of technological turnover is what happens to all the old, obsolete or broken electronics or “e-waste”.
E-waste is no small problem. According to one source, the U.S. throws out 130,000 computers a day and 100 million cell phones annually (http://ecycling.com/content/view/31/9/). Rapid technological developments, low initial costs, and even planned obsolescence on the parts of manufactures contribute to the growing e-waste problem. E-waste disposal presents environmental and public health challenges. Electronics consist of many potentially hazardous substances and must be disposed of properly. Your old computer probably contains several pounds of lead as well as cadmium, mercury, chromium, polyvinyl chlorides, and other substances with known toxicological effects. E-waste is responsible for 70% of the toxins in U.S. landfills, even though it takes up only 2% of the space (ecycling.com). Clearly, we don’t want to dump these things into landfills where they might eventually percolate into our water supply or cause harm in some other way.
So, what should we do with old electronics? Working electronics can be given to someone who will continue to use them. Broken or obsolete electronics can be e-cycled. E-cycling is a process through which old electronics are collected, disassembled, and the various components are reused. Many of the materials in electronics are valuable (i.e. precious metals, copper, engineered plastics, etc.) and require a significant amount of energy to process or manufacture. E-cycling 1 million cell phones saves enough energy to power more than 19,000 American households for a year (www.epa.gov). Reusing materials, decreasing energy use, and conserving virgin resources are all reasons to e-cycle.
E-cycling does have drawbacks. Finding an e-waste facility in your area can be difficult, especially in rural areas like Crook County. Also, because there is little regulation and almost no enforcement of existing laws concerning e-waste, some companies quietly export collected items to the developing world where they are seldom handled properly. Therefore, it is important to research any company you consider using.