E-Cycle Washington appears to be a hit.
In the first two months of the state’s free electronic waste recycling program, consumers, school districts, small businesses and others dropped off more than 6.5 million pounds of computers, laptops, monitors and TVs.
Snohomish County, though it accounts for about 10 percent of the state’s population, contributed 18 percent of the state’s so-called e-waste during January and February.
“People understand this program exists and they’re already tapping into it,” said Sego Jackson, a principal planner for Snohomish County. “It is beyond a huge success. People are very happy with it.”
It doesn’t hurt that it’s free.
Under a Washington law passed in 2006, residents no longer have to pay fees to recycle their computers, monitors and TVs.
Electronics recycling is also free for small businesses, schools, nonprofit organizations and smaller city governments.
Manufacturers such as Sony, Dell and Panasonic — 212 in all — are paying the bill instead. Each manufacturer will be charged by the pound based on each brand’s overall sales and recycling figures.
The Washington Materials Management and Financing Authority runs the program. Officials expect to take in 24 million pounds of computers, monitors and TVs at a cost of about $10 million to manufacturers in 2009.
TVs have topped the donation list so far at 58 percent of the items recycled, followed by monitors at 34 percent and computers and laptops at a combined 8 percent.
“Tons of old TVs are coming in mostly,” said Ray Rowlett, owner TK Enterprise, a smaller operation in Lake Stevens that has collected roughly 7 tons of old electronics. “You can tell it’s been sitting for a long time because they didn’t want to pay to get rid of it.”
Seattle Goodwill’s 24 collection sites in five counties, including Snohomish County, collected 1.44 million pounds of electronics for the program in January and February, roughly 22 percent of all statewide collections.
Before the program started, Goodwill was reluctant to accept old TVs and computers because recycling electronic items could be costly. Under the new program, Goodwill now accepts all TVs, monitors and computers, working or not. Computers are recycled, not sold, to protect any data that might remain on the hard drives.
TVs and monitors, however, are tested and sold. Whatever is left over can be recycled free as part of the E-Cycle Washington program.
In fact, as part of a network of more than 200 collection sites, the charity gets paid by the pound by manufacturers for their efforts.
“It gives us an opportunity to put out the newer working TVs and monitors,” said Tiffany Hatch, operations coordinator for Seattle Goodwill. “You can still get a good television for not a whole lot of money. Our selection is a lot better.”
When choosing between county-run transfer stations and privately operated collection sites, Jackson recommends the latter, which include three PC Recycle locations and five Goodwill collection sites.
“When you bring them your television, it’s as likely as not you’re going to bring them something else,” Jackson said. “They’re going to get paid for receiving that television from you.”
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
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