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SALT LAKE COUNTY -- After the switch to a digital TV signal last month, many of us may have an old set sitting around that we want to get rid of. But, electronics waste, or e-waste does not belong in the landfill. This summer, the Salt Lake Valley Health Department is making it easier than ever before to get rid of our e-waste.
Many Americans are getting rid of old, analog TV sets this summer that no longer work without a converter box or a cable hookup. But these old boob tubes don't belong in the landfill any more than paint, turpentine or motor oil.
Household Hazardous Waste Program Manager Dorothy Adams says, "You never know what the long-term effect of having these things sitting in the landfill is going to be. That's No. 1. No. 2, they contain heavy metals that can be reused."
Plus, they take up a lot of space. From now until Sept. 10, the Salt Lake Valley Health Department will hold six community collection events for all household hazardous waste. The department received hundreds of calls from residents who wanted to know what to do with the old sets.
Guaranteed Recycling Experts of Centerville handles the e-waste and guarantees is does not end up in toxic piles half way around the world.
Trevor Hansen, with CRX Recycling, said, "Knowing that everything is going to stay in the U.S. when it's recycled, eases our minds, knowing that it's going to be taken care of, that we're not going to be shipping to overseas, that it's not going to have problems affecting our lifestyles, and other lifestyles as well."
Most of the materials in old sets won't actually go to waste.
Hansen explains, "We have a production team, and they take apart all the parts. They separate the glass, the plastic, the wires, the circuit boards, the aluminum, the copper. They separate all that, and then we ship that out to recyclers who will reuse it."
The response to e-waste collection events has been tremendous. "We collect anywhere from 5,000 pounds to 70,000 pounds in just one weekend," Hansen says.
That's 35 tons, so the e-waste is coming in.
Starting Thursday, the department began accepting old sets for recycling. That program will run almost every Thursday until August 20.
Salt Lake County residents can visit the following designated locations from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.:
Sandy City Public Works
8775 S, 700 West
July 9, Aug. 6
Holladay City
4626 S. 2300 East
July 16, Aug. 13
Salt Lake City
2100 S. 1602 East
July 23, Aug. 20
CLICK HERE for additional dates and times.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
