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Electronics Recycling Event

Electronics Recycling Event

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NEWS RELEASE

Electronics Recycling Event Scheduled

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 14, 2022) – Obsolete electronic equipment discarded by consumers represents 3 percent of the trash dumped every year in America's landfills. However, it also represents 70 percent of the toxic waste thrown out by individuals and businesses. Recycling of electronic equipment can help manage this risk to public health.

The Regional Recycling District in Pulaski County will hold a free electronics recycling drop-off event on Tuesday, March 29, and Wednesday, March 30, at the Simmons Bank Arena parking lot on E. Washington Avenue in North Little Rock. Pulaski County residents and businesses can bring old, broken, or obsolete electronic items from computers and printers to televisions, copiers, cell phones, and fax machines from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. both days.

“We call it e-waste,” said Craig Douglass, executive director of the Regional Recycling & Waste Reduction District. “But it is actually not waste at all, because electronic equipment and its component parts can be recycled and re-marketed for the manufacture of new products.”

The collection is for residential households, businesses, non-profits, churches, governments, and schools living and doing business in Pulaski County.

“According to the EPA, e-waste is the fastest growing municipal waste stream in the country,” Douglass said. “Our e-waste recycling event is designed to take back this equipment and recycle it to get toxic chemicals like lead and mercury out of the waste stream and out of landfills.”

For more information and a list of acceptable electronic items that can be dropped off and recycled, consumers, and businesses may go to RecyclingUnplugged.com. (Fact Sheet, attached.)

RecyclingUnplugged.com

FACT Sheet

  1. The Regional Recycling District in Pulaski County will conduct a free electronic recycling event on Tuesday, March 29, and Wednesday, March 30, from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Simmons Bank Arena parking lot on E. Washington in North Little Rock.
  2. The recycling event is for residential households, businesses, non-profits, churches, governments, and schools living and doing business in Pulaski County.
  3. Each year since 2015, discarded electronics, including TVs, computers, printers, scanners, fax machines, keyboards, and cell phones totaled over 10 million tons.
  4. Electronic waste represents 3% of America's trash in landfills but totals over 70% of all toxic waste deposited in landfills.
  5. Electronic waste’s toxic components dangerous to human health include mercury, lead, cadmium, polybrominated flame retardants, barium, and lithium. The negative health effects of these toxins on humans include brain, heart, liver, kidney, and skeletal system damage.
  6. Much of what is labeled electronic waste, called e-waste, is not waste at all, but rather whole electronic equipment or component parts that are readily marketable for reuse, or can be recycled for materials recovery.
  7. Approximately 13% of e-waste is currently recycled.
  8. Recycling 1 million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 U.S. homes in a year.
  9. It takes 530 pounds of fossil fuel, 48 pounds of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one computer with monitor.
  10. The drive-up and drop-off electronic recycling event is FREE.
  11. Participants with large quantities (over five items) should bring materials palletized, in Gaylord boxes, or have at least two people to assist with unloading.
  12. The Regional Recycling District does not accept electronics from businesses that collect electronics for profit.
  13. All electronics collected are properly disposed of and securely handled. No materials are given away or sold.
  14. Privacy is ensured with hard drives securely destroyed with an electronics shredder.
  15. Special collections conducted by the Regional Recycling District since 2004 have diverted over 3,500 tons of electronics from county landfills.
  16. Acceptable items that can be dropped off at the e-waste recycling event include the following (also found at RecyclingUnplugged.com):

Computers and Accessories

  • CRT monitors
  • LCD displays
  • CPUs
  • Laptops
  • Servers
  • Switches
  • UPS systems
  • Wires and Cables
  • Keyboards and Mice
  • Speakers
  • Hard Drives (all hard drives will be securely destroyed)

Audio/Video Equipment

  • Televisions
  • Radios
  • DVD players
  • VCRs
  • Stereos
  • Camcorders
  • Cameras
  • Radios
  • Game systems

Handheld Devices

  • Cell phones
  • Pagers
  • PDAs
  • Two-way radios

Office Equipment

  • Fax machines
  • Copiers
  • Printers and scanners
  • Surge protectors
  • Telephones
  • Typewriters
  • Adding machines and calculators

Household Appliances

  • Microwaves
  • Coffee makers
  • Toasters
  • Hair dryers
  • Vacuum cleaners

The Regional Recycling & Waste Reduction District in Pulaski County works with the public works departments of Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Maumelle, Jacksonville, Wrightsville, and Pulaski County to help protect our shared environment, stimulate the local economy, and conserve resources by empowering Pulaski County residents and businesses to reduce, reuse, and recycle. The cities and the county contract for their own solid-waste collection and pick-up services, but use a regional approach facilitated by the District to achieve system efficiencies to increase recycling and reduce cost. 

Posted on 03/04/2022