If you unwrapped a sleek laptop or flat screen TV during the holidays, think twice about tossing to the curb the clunky computer monitor or television it's replacing.
Starting Jan. 1, it will be illegal to throw away more than a dozen electronics including MP3 players, video game consoles and computer mice. Part of the 2008 Illinois Electronic Products Recycling Act, the new ban requires citizens, businesses and manufacturers to recycle a list of 17 electronic devices and bars waste collectors from throwing them into landfills. Though the state and county have been working to get the word out before the ban takes effect, they expect some Illinoisans to be unpleasantly surprised by what the dump truck doesn't pick up.
"It's going to be a learning curve for everyone, especially after the holidays," said Susan Piazza of Republic Services, which owns Allied Waste and services Collinsville, Granite City, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon and Maryville, along with several other Metro East communities. "Unfortunately, people are going to find out about it by us leaving it behind. Our hands are tied, obviously."
Waste collectors like Allied and Waste Management said they will leave tags or stickers on the banned electronics in customers' garbage that refer them to electronic recycling collectors and processors. Several Goodwill stores in the Metro East collect unwanted electronics, as does Metro East Recycling (which has sites in Collinsville, Madison and Fairmont City) and Totall Metal Recycling Inc. in Granite City.
The ban aims at preventing hazardous substances like lead and mercury found in larger electronics from entering landfills. Once in the landfills, those substances can seep into and contaminate water systems. The items' hazardous nature make them difficult — and expensive — to recycle. That is why some E-waste recyclers currently charge to accept or process electronics.
"When it comes to TVs and computer monitors, we have to charge a fee to accept them because they have CRT (cathode ray tube) in them, which is a glass that contains lead," said Melanie Spenner, location manager for Metro East Recycling. "It's very costly to have those items recycled. We get charged as well."
State officials say after Jan. 1, those fees must be dropped.
"The legislation says that residents cannot be charged a fee for recycling," said David Walters, manager of the waste reduction section for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. "If a recycler collects an old computer or television, they cannot charge them anything."
The ban also puts responsibility on electronics manufacturers to collect and recycle products. Each year they will be responsible for recycling a percentage of their total sales in Illinois two years prior to the program year. For example, in 2012 manufacturers will be required to recycle 40 percent of the weight of items they sold in Illinois in 2010.
The measure not only aims to protect the environment, it will also boost local commerce, said Leah Dettmers, sustainability coordinator for Madison County.
"All of the recycled items typically at these recycling centers and collection areas go right back into our community," she said.
"You have to hire employees to process those materials," she explained. "You're making money back by brokering (recycled) materials to companies in the U.S. ... if you can keep those processing facilities in the state and area, it promotes local growth and economy."
Though it will take a massive communications effort, Dettmers said recycling electronics should become as easy as recycling a soda can.
"Eventually," she said, "it will be like tires or aluminum."
Contact reporter Sarah Baraba at 618-344-0264, ext. 133
