“End of Life Management” for your beloved e-devices
July 30, 2013, Prince William, VA – Do you have an old television, computer CPU or monitor collecting dust, taking up space and adding to your clutter? Well, you are not alone. According to a recent EPA study*, numerous households have outdated electronic devices that need “end of life management”—recycling or disposal.
In Prince William County, residents can take advantage of electronics recycling service 116 days a year. The Prince William County Landfill facility is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Balls Ford Road Yard Waste and Compost Facility (BFR) is open every 2nd Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents may bring up to three (3) items (TV, CPU, stereo, etc.) per visit to either facility.
Electronic items accepted for recycling include:
· personal computers
· laptops and tablets,
· cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors and flat-panel monitors
· keyboards and mice
· printers, fax machines, scanners, copiers and multi-function devices
· televisions (CRT and flat-panel)
· stereo equipment (receivers, CD players, tape decks, etc.
· other electronic devices with a cord or a circuit board
Electronics comprise approximately one to two percent of the municipal solid waste stream in the United States. In Prince William County electronics disposal increased from 700 tons in 2011 to 810 tons in 2012, a 16 percent increase. Due to rapid growth and change in electronic products and the constant stream of new product offerings, people need ways to properly dispose of used electronics. These items often contain potentially harmful substances (CRT monitors, for example, contain about eight pounds of lead), which make proper disposal and recycling of electronics an important “get it right” decision for all households.
All Prince Williams residents are encouraged to reduce their electronics clutter by bring unwanted items to the Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Recycling area at the landfill or Balls Ford Road facility according to the schedule noted above.
Additionally, consumers can check with retailers like Best Buy, Office Depot and Staples to learn more about the company’s recycling take back programs and organizations like Good Will and Salvation Army for details on reuse programs.
The County landfill cannot accept materials from business or non-residential properties. Area firms that accept electronics from businesses are listed on the county website at http://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/publicworks/trash/Pages/Refuse-Hauler-Information.aspx.
The Prince William County Solid Waste Division operates the County landfill, which is located at 14811 Dumfries Road, Manassas, VA and the Balls Ford Road Yard Waste and Compost Facility, which is located at 13000 Balls Ford Road, Manassas, VA. For more information on Solid Waste Division services visit www.pwcgov.org/trashandrecycling. For EPA study details visit http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/docs/fullbaselinereport2011.pdf.*
