Computer and Electronics Recycling: The New EcoCycle Frontier
First two collection events keep over 1.5 tons of toxic lead out of the landfills

Twenty-five years ago we created Colorado’s first programs for recovering glass, cans and newspapers. Now, EcoCycle is kicking off our next 25 years by addressing one of our most serious modern recycling dilemmas: obsolete computer and electronic equipment. Despite the environmental and public health risks posed by “waste” computers and other electronics, Colorado as yet has no permanent recovery program. It is into this void that EcoCycle has stepped. With funding from EcoCycle, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 and the Governor’s Office of Energy Management and Conservation, we are creating the first-ever series of household computer collection events in Colorado. The goal is to create a permanent computer recycling program in Boulder County and to serve as a model for other Colorado communities to follow.

The National Safety Council estimates that by 2004 there will be 315 million obsoletecomputers in the United States, and in high-tech Boulder County, where per capita computer ownership is well above the national average, we’ll likely contribute more than our share to the mess. Since each computer monitor contains 3-8 pounds of lead and a variety of other toxins like arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, 315 million potentially landfill-destined computers represents an enormous environmental threat.

The EPA admits that all landfills will eventually leak, and that means the hazardous material in computer equipment will eventually leach into the groundwater. Computers are only part of the problem; the surge of new electronic devices on the market —from cell phones to Game Boys—creates a mountain of toxic, non-recyclable waste. Over the next decade, the transition to digital high-definition televisions alone could result in tens of millions of discarded TV’s containing thousands of tons of toxic lead.

By conducting one-day computer roundup events where personal computers are collected and either refurbished (if relatively new) or recycled for parts, EcoCycle is testing the market to establish a permanent, on-going program that will eventually handle all electronics.
Our first two collection events have been tremendously successful first steps down that road. At our first event in Broomfield, 176 cars brought in 21,000 pounds of equipment. The second event in Longmont serviced 502 cars and 48,500 pounds of equipment. That’s an estimated 1.5 tons of toxic lead kept out of the landfills from these two events alone. The

Boulder collection event in April could easily draw more than 1,400 cars and 130,000 pounds of material! The two remaining collection days for Lafayette/Louisville and Nederland later in the summer will only add to the total volume.

Without the help of the 125 volunteers and Block Leaders who have already pitched in, and the volunteers who will serve at future events, we wouldn’t be sharing these success stories with you. We are also grateful for the sponsorship and support provided by local businesses and local governments (see Thank You’s page 6). Thanks for your commitment to community-based recycling and for helping to keep our groundwater safer for future generations.