Electronics Recycling Under New Guidelines in Camden County This Weekend

Camden County will host its next drive-through household Electronics Recycling Collection on Saturday, April 2, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Camden County Public Works Complex, 2311 Egg Harbor Road in Lindenwold.

In order to keep Electronics Recycling Collections free for Camden County taxpayers, older style televisions and computer monitors that contain Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) and all rear projection TVs will no longer be accepted, county officials said Thursday morning.

To find out how to dispose of these items, contact the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection at 609-984-3438.

Residents can also contact local electronics retailers or information on their individual collection guidelines, or donate working equipment to Goodwill.

“It is the legal responsibility of manufacturers to cover all costs of recycling and disposing of items containing CRTs,” Camden County Freeholder Jeff Nash, liaison to the Camden County Division of Environmental Affairs, said. “We are standing with other counties in refusing to pay for what is the manufacturers’ responsibility. Electronics manufacturers are mandated to provide a free and convenient way to recycle what are referred to as ‘Covered Electronic Devices,’ which includes CRT TVs and monitors.”

Flat panel TVs and monitors will continue to be accepted at no charge, along with items such as computers, keyboards, VCRs, scanners, DVD players, tape players, stereo equipment, typewriters, printers, laptops, modems, telecommunication equipment, fax machines, radios, answering machines and telephones.

“This is the perfect opportunity for residents to properly dispose of unwanted electronic equipment,” Nash said. “Recycling these items will prevent harmful materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium from being released into the environment.”

Anyone who is unsure what to do with certain items should contact the Division of Environmental Affairs at 856-858-5241.

“With such rapid advancements in technology, I’m sure there are residents out there with electronics piling up – multiple computers or phones for example,” Nash said. “If you bring those electronics to this free event, everything will either be refurbished for future use or recycled to help protect the environment.”

For a complete list of what to bring, and for upcoming recycling events, visit www.camdencounty.com/recycling.