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No More Throwing Away Electronics

You know what this means...

Beginning Wednesday, a long list of electronic equipment is banned from Wisconsin landfills and incinerators, under a new state electronics recycling law.

Devices on the banned list include televisions, cell phones, computers and monitors, keyboards, printers, scanners and fax machines, as well as DVD players, VCRs and DVRs.

The coming months will see all sorts of electronic equipment dumped on roadsides.  Human nature is human nature.

Posted by Owen at 2023 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin + Technology

1. Today I saw a discarded hot tub at parking lot of the Jackson Wildlife area.

   On a related note: Hot tub, $1000 obo, email for details.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 30, 2010 at 2131 hrs
   
   
   

2. Good news is this will help create markets & expand existing ones. Companies that reclaim/recycle this stuff will have a ton of opportunity to grow. In addition the nasty & toxic stuff, there’s actually a number of rare earth metals needed for high tech applications and right now China produces something like 97% of them. Being able to reclaim them from used hardware seems like a good idea. It’s already illegal to throw out monitors & tub tv’s due to their incredibly high lead content.

   That said, making regular disposal illegal before cheap/free alternatives are available & widely known is a huge problem. Also, if it just means we send millions more pounds of the stuff to third world countries for their kids to dig through, then this doesn’t do anyone any good except for some corrupt foreign politicians who get to line their pockets. Seriously, the piles of this junk being picked over by young kids is scary.

   And of course we’re talking about the government here - Wisconsin, no less - so it’s bound to be screwed up. For example, this begins Wednesday? And this is the first I’ve heard of it? WTH? Not to mention, VCRs? Really? No reason for VCRs to be on the list. Nor really scanners, printers, fax or probably even DVD players. Very little if any dangerous chemicals in them as far as I know.

   For all the talk about green this, green that & looking for stimulus stuff…instead of a billion on trains nobody is going to ride, how about grants & loans for companies to work on recycling this stuff & improve the technologies to process it.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 31, 2010 at 0131 hrs
   
   
   

3. No reason for VCRs to be on the list. Nor really scanners, printers, fax or probably even DVD players. Very little if any dangerous chemicals in them as far as I know.

   I may be wrong on this, but I think anything with a phenolic printed circuit board in it contains PCBs.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 31, 2010 at 0801 hrs
   
   
   

4. Where are we supposed to recycle these items?  Are we just expected to store them in the basement or garage until we find it necessary to apply for “Clean House”?

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 31, 2010 at 0820 hrs
   
   
   

5. It’s kind of like compact flourescents. Absolutely nobody knows how or where to dispose of them, and we are about to mandate their use…

   This is the kind of crap you get when the Wesley Mouches of the world take control.

   I’ll guarantee that we start seeing computer towers dumped on the ice age trail, in the parking areas off of HWY H, and and all over the Kettle Moraine.

   Don’t get me wrong. I think it is a great thing that these items are to be recycled. It’s just the simple fact that when government mandates something it is not allowed to grow organically or efficiently. We will see news stories in the coming year that will describe some interesting murphy’s law consequences to this legislation.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 31, 2010 at 0830 hrs
   
   
   

6. Drop off sites in West Bend are: Goodwill Ind. and Milwaukee PC per the Wi DNR website.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 31, 2010 at 1219 hrs
   
   
   

7. What would have been wrong with monthly pickup days?

   Posted by Smeety on August 31, 2010 at 1242 hrs
   
   
   

8. Here’s the website for Wisconsin counties:
   http://dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/wm/ecycle/Documents/collectionsitesbycounty.pdf

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 31, 2010 at 1244 hrs
   
   
   

9. This won’t mean a thing to the companies bringing in stuff from other states. Just like where we in the state “have to” separate our waste and recyclables other states that dump here are not required to do so. But yes, one good outcome is it may create jobs, green or otherwise.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 31, 2010 at 1254 hrs
   
   
   

10. Circuit boards do not contain PCB’s unless that is you are confused and referring to Printed Circuit Boards which is an abbreviation for circuit boards.

    I am sure it is not at all coincidental that circuit boards contain precious metals and Lead all of which have a high dollar returns from scrap dealers.

    As someone familiar with dealing with scrap in this industry the state stands to make Millions of dollars from this move.

    I don’t disagree however that it is probably a good idea to get lead and other contaminants out of landfills if they can be recycled.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 31, 2010 at 1500 hrs
    
    
    

11. Jeff - that was my thought too, that Duke was mixing up his PCBs. But I wasn’t completely sure & didn’t want to tell him he was wrong because of my own uncertainty.

    Duke - as a general rule of thumb, I think the circuit board are a fairly reasonable line to draw - there are some chemicals, trace elements and and if they have any transistors, they could/should be separated. But as a reasonable middle ground, I think the size of the boards should be a factor. For computer CPUs & components, sure. But if there’s a circuit board in things like printers, VCRs, fax machines, etc they’re very small. Again, I’m actually a fairly green conservative and I’d like to see as much junk as possible recycled and kept out of landfills whether toxic or not. But I’m about as far away from the environmental extremists on implementation - I believe in an incremental approach. Clear communications with reasonable rules that are easy to follow - not onerous or expensive or people will just ignore them. Sort of the same thing with fuel efficiency - drastic changes will hurt the industry and ultimately cost jobs. Instead, just require the EPA fuel economy ratings to go up by very small, but continually increasing amounts.

    The world got a lot worse when environmentalists replaced conservationists.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 01, 2010 at 1439 hrs
    
    
    

12. Good info Gary. I hope people take heed, but I will still bet that we start seeing this stuff laying around. You wouldn’t believe how many paint cans, solvent containers, fluorescent bulbs, 55 gallon drums, tires, oil jugs, etc. that I see lying around off hiking trails or remote parking areas in this state.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 0939 hrs
    
    
    

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