If you have an old TV, computer, cellphone, or other electronic device that you’re thinking about trashing, don’t.
When not properly recycled, those items could put toxic materials into our air, water, and land. To help us out, Snappy Salads is hosting an electronic recycling roundup this Saturday, May 3, including the Snappy Salads at 5915 Forest. They will be collecting electronics from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Specific items that can be recycled include: computers, televisions, monitors, laptops, cell phones, VCRs, stereos, copiers, printers, video games, fax machines, calculators, as well as small appliances and batteries.
Last year Snappy Salads collected 7,000 pounds of electronic waste.
Based on 2009 figures, the EPA estimates that U.S. consumers purchased over 438 million electronic devices. Only 25 percent of this was recycled with televisions and mobile devices representing the lowest recycling rate. Electronic waste contains toxic materials, including lead, mercury, and brominated flame-retardants that can contaminate our air, water and land if not properly recycled.
