Old electronics, in this age of planned obsolescence, can pile up fast.
Fortunately, recycling of such so-called e-waste is free thanks to a new state product-stewardship law and a program called E-Cycle Washington.
Though Snohomish County’s three garbage and recycling transfer stations stopped participating in the program in June for financial reasons, there are still numerous locations in the county that will accept and recycle electronics.
Most Goodwill and PC Recycle locations are involved, which makes it easy peasy.
I toured one with a less familiar name, E-Waste LLC in Lynnwood, and it was seriously cool.
Manager Charles Frederick showed me around. Workers on a “disassembly line” were taking apart TVs, removing mostly plastic and metal, including a surprising amount of copper, from leaded-glass CRTs or cathode ray tubes, which are dangerous to throw in the garbage because of the toxic lead.
Frederick said all the materials are shipped to processors regulated by the state or the EPA.
“I feel good. It really is fulfilling,” he said of his green job, essentially created by the new law, which puts the cost of recycling on computer and TV companies instead of consumers and governments. “I think about the size of the hole all this stuff would fit in. It just baffles me, the volume.”
Under the E-Cycle program, which took effect Jan. 1, consumers can recycle four things for free: TVs, computers, monitors and laptops. (Yes, that includes the giant wooden hulk of a console TV you’ve had in your garage for decades.)
Washington residents, schools and small governments and businesses have recycled more than 19 million pounds of e-waste so far, including 3.2 million pounds in Snohomish County alone.
Here are some pictures from me and Herald photog, Mark Mulligan, followed by 14 drop-off sites that will accept and, in some cases, pick e-waste up at your home.
Joe Miskel removes the plastic exterior of a television at the front of the disassembly line at E-Waste LLC, a Lynnwood company that recycles electronics. People can bring TVs, laptops, CPUs, monitors and cell phones to the facility to be recycled for free.
Doug Hanson removes a pallet of used electronics from a truck at E-Waste LLC. The load of electronics from PC Recycle contains about 10,000 pounds of mixed electronics.
Hard drives and motherboards from computers await shipping to recyclers who will break them down even further.
One of the larger CRTs awaits shipping for safe recycling.
This display at E-Waste LLC in Lynnwood shows the parts of a computer that are recyclable, including aluminum (upper right in a Ziploc bag), copper wire surrounded by plastic and various “broken electronics” including cirucuit boards and wires, which can be salvaged for various metals.
- E-Waste LLC, 12424 Beverly Park Road, Lynnwood, 425-239-4118; www.e-wastes.com.
- Goodwill, 228 SW Everett Mall Way, Everett, 425-353-0957.
- St. Vincent de Paul, 6424 Broadway, Everett, 425-355-3525.
- Goodwill, 9315 State Ave., Marysville, 360-653-4337.
- PC Recycle, 11603 State Ave., Marysville, 360-659-6131; www.pcrecycle.net.
- Truck On Call, 11432 41st Drive NE, Marysville, 425-488-6772; www.greentvrecycling.com; pick-up service is available for a minimum $15 fee.
- TK Enterprise, 430 91st Ave. NE, Lake Stevens, 425-335-7787.
- Goodwill, 12906 Bothell-Everett Highway, Mill Creek; TVs larger than 19 inches diagonal are not accepted.
- Goodwill, 4027 198th St. SW, Lynnwood, 425-774-6157.
- PC Recycle, 4520 200th St. SW, Lynnwood, 425-697-6666.
- St. Vincent de Paul, 17214 Highway 99, Lynnwood, 425-741-8468.
- Ace Metal Co. Mukilteo Recycling Center, 11110 Mukilteo Speedway, Mukilteo, 425-493-6802; www.acemetalco.com; pick-up service is available for a minimum $35 fee.
- Jaco Environmental Appliance Recycling Outlet, 10105 Airport Way, Snohomish, 360-568-6003; www.jacoinc.net.
- Goodwill, 18805 Highway 2, Monroe; TVs larger than 19 inches diagonal are not accepted.
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