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If you want people to recycle e-waste

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paulney

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I have accumulated a rather large stash of e-waste in my garage. From batteries to old computer parts to phones and answering machines. Each time I looked at it, I wanted to do something about it, so finally I got on my mission.

Item: fluorescent bulbs. Not accepted pretty much anywhere around me except Ace Hardware. And good luck bringing them a broken CFL light. Won't take. How come there are two Home Depot and one Lowes close to me that sell thousands of them, but can't take them?

Item: batteries Used to be accepted by our garbage and recycling company through regular collection, but not any more. Took them to WeirdStuff warehouse which sells all kinds of e-junk and accepts e-waste, and they refused as well.

Item: ballast for fluorescent lights Not accepted anywhere

Item: old computer parts, phones, answering machines Finally accepted at WeirdStuff warehouse.

And I'm still left with a broken CFL, a ton of batteries, two ballasts, two floor-standing lamps.

What the hell, people. If you want people to recycle their e-waste, at least make it convenient. Anyone else with less patience and time on their hands would have already dumped all that shit into a garbage can long time ago, and I can't blame them.





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Anandtech Administrator
KeithTalent
 
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I agree. I've also collected a disturbing amount of used motor oil. I used to have a few places to take it, but they've been slowly disappearing. I'm sure I could find something, but it isn't as easy as it used to be.
 
I'm working at one of these facilities for the summer, a lot of the smaller places only do collection, but we also do processing to an extent. I know for this place, there aren't the facilities to properly dispose of those items. I don't know too too much about the back end stuff, but I do know that we primarily take electronics, separate them into materials, and then sell off the raw materials to places. This doesn't really leave much room for the icky stuff, like batteries.
 
recently a local university had a large semi truck where you could drop off any kind of e-waste.

unfortunately they only do this once a year as a fundraiser for a school...I think this particular middle school has some sort of computer / tech classes.

there are some local companies, but they charge for large items...TVs cost 15.00 to leave and monitors are 45.00 IIRC. There are rebates through the city, but still.

check w/ your local city and see what your options are...my city has a 'recycling directory' that's where i found a place to take my stuff.
 
You mention Weird Stuff, so I assume you live in/near Sunnyvale:

http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Depart...ling/Recycling+A+to+Z/

I have dumped a lot of stuff at the Sunnyvale SMART station which is across the street from Weird Stuff, mostly free for Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto residents.

Computer Recycling Center which is next door to Weird Stuff took every computer part I threw at them.

Best Buy has/had little kiosks at their entrances to drop batteries/cell phones/printer cartridges for a while now.
 
The county I live in allows home owners to dump waste 7 days a week at the county dump, but only accepts e-waste on certain days (every other Saturday i think).
 
There is an e-waste drive here about once a year if we are lucky. It would be nice if the county would set aside somewhere that we could bring the stuff to on the weekends. Instead, all that stuff goes straight in the landfill. It is a lose-lose for everyone.
 
Check your local paper. THere are often community drop offs setup that will take any type of e-waste. We have one that pops up 3-4 times a year.
 
Most batteries you can throw in the garbage unless you are talking car batteries and stuff like that there is nothing in there more harmful than regular trash
 
Originally posted by: lxskllr
I agree. I've also collected a disturbing amount of used motor oil. I used to have a few places to take it, but they've been slowly disappearing. I'm sure I could find something, but it isn't as easy as it used to be.
Click to expand...

Make friends with a local mechanic. Most of the smaller shops have spare room in their waste barrels and would be happy to let you dump the oil in there.
 
Originally posted by: lxskllr
I agree. I've also collected a disturbing amount of used motor oil. I used to have a few places to take it, but they've been slowly disappearing. I'm sure I could find something, but it isn't as easy as it used to be.
Click to expand...


I heard or read somewhere that, by law, if you sell motor oil, you need to accept used motor oil as well. All auto parts stores around here accept it, including walmart.
 
Actually motor oil is pretty easy in CA: any place that changes oil will take it. Filters - not so many, but oil is not problem at all. In fact, Autozone even gives you money for it! Penny change, but still.
 
Yeah it's too bad it's that hard to get rid of that stuff properly. Also our dump does not really monitor what goes in. I drove in with an old muffler and car battery in my trunk. I had the decency of only throwing my garbage bag and going to the recycling place for the rest but I could have thrown the battery and muffler too if I had wanted and nobody would of stopped me.
 
Originally posted by: slag
Originally posted by: lxskllr
I agree. I've also collected a disturbing amount of used motor oil. I used to have a few places to take it, but they've been slowly disappearing. I'm sure I could find something, but it isn't as easy as it used to be.
Click to expand...


I heard or read somewhere that, by law, if you sell motor oil, you need to accept used motor oil as well. All auto parts stores around here accept it, including walmart.
Click to expand...

I'll look into that, as well as some local shops. I used to have a recycling center close to me, but they closed up. It was convenient because you could go after hours to get rid of your stuff. I'd go around 10pm, and I could take my time, without any hassles. I'd dig through the paper recycle to look for cool books, and the scrap metal for tools and stuff.
 
Imagine if they make incandescent bulbs illegal, oh lol.

Mercury lightbulbs will be the new leaded gasoline. History repeats itself it seems.
 
Originally posted by: erub
Best Buy takes some stuff, I've done a couple drop offs this week
Click to expand...

That would be actually the only good reason to visit BestBuy: leave them a huge bag of old batteries 🙂
 
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