Getting New Electronic Devices For Christmas? Don’t Forget To Recycle The Old Ones

Santa Claus is likely to bring good little girls and boys lots of new electronic devices and peripherals-- bigger screen TVs, computers, tablets, phones, printers, scanners and more.

In many cases, they will replace a ton (tons actually) of old, outdated models that usually end up in the basement, a forgotten closet or worse, in the case of TVs, by the side of the road on in a nearby creek.

You should know state law prohibits you from just putting these devices out with the trash for disposal.

Keep PA Beautiful and the PA Resources Council encourage you to recycle those old electronics through local e-waste recycling programs in many areas of the state.

KPB offers advice on where to take them through its eWastePA.org website.

Law Needs Changes

Pennsylvania’s e-waste recycling program, however, is not as robust as it was when it was created in 2010.

A hearing last March by the Joint Senate-House Conservation Committee found the e-waste recycling market had all but collapsed in Pennsylvania due to electronics manufacturers not paying the actual costs of recycling as they should do under state law.

Electronics recycling companies, environmental groups and local governments all called for major reforms of the e-waste recycling law, but no action was taken in 2016.

Visit the Keep PA Beautiful and the PA Resources Council e-waste recycling webpages to learn more about how you can help rebuild Pennsylvania’s electronics waste recycling program.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.
Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up communities and keep them clean and KPB’s new Electronics Waste website.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Resources Council website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates, follow PRC on Twitter or Like them on Facebook.  Click Here for PRC’s Events Calendar.