Dispose of E-Waste Safely

What happens to your old cell phone when you replace it with the latest smart phone? Or the laptop that flames out after a couple years? Or that obsolete tube TV?

With constantly improving technology and ever-lower costs, electronic devices like these are ending up in landfills at alarming rates.

Electronics waste, or “e-waste,” is the fastest-growing type of waste in the U.S.  It is also a fast-growing environmental and public health threat because so many electronics contain hazardous materials.

E-waste often contains such toxic substances as lead, mercury, and cadmium.  Dumped in unlined landfills, these substances can leach into soil and groundwater. Lead can hurt children’s brain development, in some cases causing irreparable neurological damage and even death. Mercury poisoning can injure the central nervous system, particularly in children. Cadmium can cause kidney damage.

The e-waste problem is huge. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in 2008, 3.16 million tons of e-waste was generated in the U.S., only 13.6 percent of which was recycled. According to the Global Futures Foundation, e-waste accounts for 70 percent of toxic waste found in landfills. The World Resources Institute estimates that 14 to 20 million personal computers are disposed in the U.S. each year.

So how can you get rid of that mothballed computer without hurting the environment? Pinellas County makes it easy. You can take your e-waste to a special county facility, and the county will take it from there. The e-waste handled by the county is recycled, so that only 5 percent on average ends up in a landfill.

The Household Electronics and Chemical Collection (“HEC3”) Center, open Monday through Saturday, accepts a variety of electronics, including TVs, computers, VCRs, CD and DVD players, cell phones, and microwave ovens. The service is free to county residents. The HEC3 Center is located at 2855 109th Ave. N, in St. Pete. 

Clearwater residents who don’t want to drive to St. Pete can drop off their E-waste on the last Wednesday of the month at the recycling facility at 1701 N. Hercules Avenue, also at no charge. 

For more information about the e-waste services offered to county residents, read the hazardous electronics information page on Pinellas County’s website. 

Businesses can also dispose of their E-waste with the county.  On the second Wednesday of each month, the HEC3 Center accepts electronics from businesses at no charge or for a low fee. The next drop-off date is April 11. Check out the county’s fee list for businesses for more information.   

For more tips on waste reduction and other ways to live more sustainably, visit Pinellas County Extension’s webpage on sustainable living.