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Title: Don’t toss your old computer

Source: http://www.vagazette.com/news

YORK -- The computer industry is in a constant state of flux. We toss our old gadgets for ones that are faster, smaller or fancier. The downside is e-waste. About 400 million electronic products will be scrapped this year, according to the federal government. Many of them will be left to slowly degrade in landfills and rivers, posing a toxic threat to the air and water. Neurotoxins and carcinogens found in computers and TVs are entering the air through burning or dust. Lead and mercury are leeching into the ground in a big way. Computers now account for 40% of the lead in America's landfills, accord ing to the Environmental Protection Agency. For years, Americans shipped their cast-off computers to China, where they were dismantled for scrap. But the waste is piling up so quickly that it's overwhelming that country's storage and disposal capacity. Recycling has come home. For the past three years, a computer recycling program has been promoted by the Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority. Patricia Brown, who coordinates the program, said, “The response from residents has been awesome. “We were constantly getting calls from residents and the localities about what to do with old computers,” she said. “Then, VPPSA decided to create an umbrella program that would include the interested localities. It has worked really well.” Nine drop-off dates are staggered around the Historic Triangle for individuals who want to get rid of old monitors and CPUs. To avoid overload, the program is limited to households. The program is coordinated in conjunction with each county's household chemical program. The drop-off locations in or near greater Williamsburg are the Tewning Road Convenience Center and the Environmental & Development Services office on Goodwin Neck Road in mid-York. Once collected, the electronics are taken to the Arc of the Virginia Peninsula in Hampton, where they are dismantled and recycled for scrap metal and plastic. More than 11 tons of electronics were recycled last year, including computers, TVs, manuals, monitors, printers and keyboards. Dropoffs are free, but that may change. Computer manufacturers Hewlett-Packard and IBM will recycle computers for a fee of $13-$34. Brown was uncertain if a fee would be imposed somewhere in that range. VPPSA already collects fees on bulk recycling orders from businesses. A recycling program for cellular phones could be available as early as this month.