Disposal of old televisions and computers is tough in rural Pennsylvania — it is illegal to put “e-Waste” out with the trash, and drop-off facilities and collection events are few and far between, so illegal dumping prevails.
State groups are now pushing for changes to the Covered Device Recycling Act of 2010, which Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful calls “a flawed law (which) started out with good intentions” because it prohibited electronics from going in the garbage without ensuring sufficient alternatives to properly dispose of such devices.
The Act established free manufacturer recycling programs for residents and a disposal ban for all covered electronic devices — all covered devices would be recycled at no cost — and, landfills and other solid waste disposal facilities could no longer accept these items or their components.
“Unfortunately, the impact of Act 108 has created a supply and demand imbalance that makes it cost-prohibitive for electronics recycling vendors to operate in Pennsylvania,” Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful states online.
According to a letter from the Electronics Recyclers Association of PA (ERAP), “The Pennsylvania E-Scrap Recycling Industry is shrinking, not growing” because there is not enough financial support from electronics manufacturers to cover collection, transportation, and recycling.
As a result, ERAP says electronics processors are closing sites or opting out of service across Pennsylvania, including more than 20 regional recycling sites closing in western Pennsylvania.
Electronic devices contain valuable and recoverable materials such as aluminum, copper, gold, silver, plastics and ferrous metals, so there is value in recycling them. Additionally, knowing that everyday electronics contain lead, cadmium and mercury that are hazardous waste, the law’s intent was to keep these materials out of the landfill.
It was supposed to be a win for the economy and a win for the environment, but it has presented other challenges instead, according to Keep PA Beautiful President Shannon Reiter.
As the Department of Environmental Protection explains in its Report to the General Assembly Covered Device Recycling Act 2014, some major issues need to be addressed in order to make CDRA successful.
In the report, the DEP points out there is still no dependable statewide collection and processing infrastructure so that local governments, collectors and recyclers can operate and provide recycling services on a continuing basis.
The DEP report indicated TVs and computer monitors with cathode ray tubes (CRTs) are a big problem, due to their leaded glass, an absence of low-cost recycling technology and a limited number of CRT processors.
Additionally, the cost for processing and recycling CRTs has increased, causing many municipalities to discontinued their electronics recycling programs and many retailers and second-hand stores to stop accepting TVs.
“In short, Pennsylvania’s e-waste crisis won’t be remedied until the law gets fixed,” Reiter said.
Rep. Marty Causer, R-Turtlepoint, said he is “not surprised at all.
“I voted against it for that very reason,” Causer told The Era Friday night. “I was concerned there wouldn’t be sufficient locations in rural PA to dispose of TVs and other electronics.
“What happens in rural PA when you can’t get rid of those devices? Someone ends up throwing them over the bank somewhere. Sure enough, here we are,” he said.
Causer, who serves on the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said he’s aware that state groups are looking to make changes to the law and foresees the issue coming before the committee down the road.
“It is a problem, I’ve heard from a lot of folks about it,” he said. “There is a definite need there. And, certainly, recycling is important.”
Stuck with old TVs and computers cluttering their basements, citizens are taking matters into their own hands, dumping them illegally on vacant lots, in wooded areas and over riverbanks. Others are sneaking them into nearby dumpsters or abandoning them at recycling drop-offs — even when clearly posted that these materials are not accepted, according to Keep PA Beautiful.
Between 2005 and 2013, more than 6,200 illegal dumpsites were identified through a state survey.
The group warns illegal dumping is a crime that harms communities, property values and tourism; they also contaminate soil and groundwater supplies, often containing lead, cadmium and mercury which pose a threat to public health. Cleanups, while necessary, cost about $600 per ton of disposal, averaging around $3,000 per site. “Factor in the costs of labor and resource-intensive investigation by your local authorities, and it becomes even more expensive,” said Reiter.
These groups are not only looking for legislative changes, but helping create events and options for residents to get rid of their dilapidated technology. McKean and Cameron counties do not have facilities that offer ongoing electronic collection, but usually groups like PA CleanWays will offer collection events to aid in spring cleanup.
Cameron County Recycling Coordinator Tara Newton said residents are directed to take their electronics to Elk County. According to Newton, Cameron County has never had electronics collection, and when the Act 108 went into effect, it meant residents could no longer throw out their TVs with their trash.
“We don’t have anything in place yet for electronics, we don’t have anywhere to store them and that’s the issue. So for now, they have to go to Elk County,” she said.
Elk County Electronics Recycling Center is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the third Saturday of each month at the Stackpole Complex in St. Marys. The center is free to Elk County residents; businesses pay 24 cents per pound.
For a complete list of acceptable items, contact the Elk County Recycling Office at 814-776-5373. Cameron County residents should call for instructions prior to dropping off any electronics.
In Potter County, the Solid Waste Authority runs the Potter County Recycling Center, which accepts electronics between 8 a.m. and noon on Saturdays.
Meanwhile, McKean County in the process of hiring a recycling coordinator, so Penn State Cooperative Extension and PA CleanWays are working in conjunction to offer an electronics take-back event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 24 at Bradford City Garage. A wide variety of electronics will be accepted, including cell phones, computers, toasters, “anything with a cord,” but only one TV per car load.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful encourages residents to get involved in litter and illegal dump cleanups by participating in this year’s the Great American Cleanup of PA that runs through May 31. Residents can find a local event or register a new one by visiting www.gacofpa.org.
To learn more about Act 108, find an electronic recycling drop-off center and how to dispose of electronics, visit www.eWastePA.org. For those interested in trying to help get the law changed, the site has talking points, sample letters to legislators and a search engine to identify their local legislator.
