Recycling in Montgomery County, PA		Contact Us

Computers, Computer Equipment and Small TVs are Now being taken at ALL Montgomery County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Sites

"Today, two computers become obsolete for every three purchased. By 2005, the ratio will be 1 to 1, which means that we should be able to recycle computers as fast as we make them. For this reason, recycling must be treated like any regular manufacturing task."

D. Navin- Chandra, Carnegie-Mellon University, Fortune Magazine, February 6, 1995

"In the year 2000, the National Recycling Coalition, and industry group, conducted the first large-scale survey of America's electronic recycling efforts. The results were staggering. Between now and 2007, the survey found 500 million personal computers will become obsolete. In 1998 alone, 20 million computers were taken out of service, only 2.3 million were recycled."

H. Schuessler, New York Times, November 23, 2000

"Pennsylvania has been at the forefront of recycling electronic equipment in an environmentally responsible manner. Here is some of what we've accomplished since 2001:

	Over 1 million pounds of unwanted electronic equipment recycled.
	At least 24 counties throughout the Commonwealth have held electronics recycling events with many more planned for this year and next.
	Most of our collections have taken all electronics, including those often overlooked such as VCRs, tape decks, dvd players and televisions. Nationally, many collections only accept computers and peripherals. "

Testimony of Nicholas A. DiPasquale, Deputy Secretary Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection- Before the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee March 16, 2004 Harrisburg, PA

Why are they Potentially Harmful?

Electronic equipment contains metals that, if not properly managed or contained, can become hazardous wastes.

Cadmium - The largest source of cadmium in municipal waste is rechargeable nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries.

Lead - Monitors and televisions contain a picture tube known as a cathode ray tube (CRT). The CRTs contain leaded glass, and are the largest source of lead in municipal waste.

Mercury - Some electronic equipment also contains recoverable quantities of mercury.

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/HHW/Electronics/Harmful.htm

Some Computer Recycling Guidelines and Links

Check out the National Recycling Coalition's (NRC) guide to electronic recycling.

Find a Recycler in Your Area

NRC maintains a database of electronics recyclers and local municipal/residential programs in the United States. The database is available on the NRC website and may be searched by state.

www.Earth911.org keeps a database of electronic recyclers and reuse organizations.