Subject: Oregon E-Cycles program

Free recycling of TVs and computers

Oregon E-Cycles, the new statewide program for free recycling of electronics waste (“e-waste”) focusing on televisions, monitors, computers and laptops, is up and running as of January 1, 2009. Gaining involvement around Oregon, the program is being implemented through the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

The program is the result of several years’ worth of planning. State legislators unanimously passed a bill in 2007 that requires electronics manufacturers that do business in the state to pay into a state-administered program, or participate in a manufacturer-created program that reimburses collectors and recyclers of toxic e-waste such as televisions and computer monitors. The law, which went into effective in January 2009, allows customers to recycle up to seven of these items per visit for free.

Starting January 1, 2009 there are three Oregon E-Cycles sites for local residents to take these electronics for free recycling:

Location and Oregon E-Cycles Hours:

Hood River Garbage Service
3440 Guignard Drive, Hood River
541-386-4676
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

The Dalles Disposal Service
1317 W First St, The Dalles
541-298-5149
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

Sherman County Transfer Station
Welk Road above Biggs Junction
2nd & 4th Saturdays 12pm-4pm

As well providing a valuable service to households, the Oregon E-Cycles program can be used by small businesses. The law helps small businesses cut costs by offloading their dust-collecting gadgets for free. Locally, the program has been very helpful to electronics retailers who traditionally have to pay disposal costs on the old TVs they remove from customers’ homes when delivering new purchases.

The electronics collected here in Wasco, Sherman and Hood River counties are picked up by Oregon E-Cycles contractors and delivered to CRT Processing, a full-service facility in Clackamas, Oregon. This program works with Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management (MRM). MRM represents a consortium of 21 manufacturers of electronics, which support this program in the state of Oregon.

Oregon E-Cycles facts:

  • Participating collectors can download signs and pamphlets and outreach info by logging onto the Oregon E-Cycles website
  • The state expects to collect over 12 million pounds of covered electronic devices (CEDs) in the first year. CEDs are computers, laptops, monitors and televisions.
  • Every county in the state and all cities with populations exceeding 10,000 have collection opportunities. Many of the collection sites are depots where residents are already accustomed to bringing their recyclables.
  • Anyone can bring up to seven CEDs at a time. However, collection sites may accept more than seven items from households, small businesses, and small 501(c)(3) nonprofits with 10 or fewer employees. Customers should call the collection sites to ask about bringing more items.
  • All programs operating under the Oregon E-Cycles program must use environmentally sound management practices for the collection, transportation and recycling of CEDs

The DEQ’s website, www.oregonecycles.org, has contact information, collection sites, and information for collectors, manufacturers, and the public. It is recommended that you erase all data on your computer before recycling; clean your old hard drive with disk-wiping software.

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