New program makes recycling electronics easy, free

By David Holley

The Beaverton Valley Times, Dec 24, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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A second fee, based on the weight of the electronics that are recycled, is charged to cover the costs incurred on the companies who collect the electronics. Those could include collecting the equipment, transporting it to a recycling center and physically recycling it.

Ali Briggs, the volunteer coordinator at Free Geek, a nonprofit company based in Southeast Portland that donates or recycles donated electronics, said the E-Cycles program might cause Free Geek to lose a little money.

That’s not terrible, if it causes more people to recycle their electronics, she said.

“Free Geek will continue to do what we do,” Briggs said.

Like many organizations that recycle and reuse electronics, Free Geek accepts more than just the computers, televisions and monitors that can be recycled for free under E-Cycles. Anything from a keyboard to a printer can be brought in for a suggested donation.

Although there is a seven-item drop-off limit per visit, people can bring more than that if they can prove that they are from a household, small business or nonprofit. The DEQ asks that people call ahead to a collection site to make sure that there is enough space. In addition, the DEQ recommends that people erase all private data from their computers before recycling them.

The toxins in these electronics, if released into soil, water or air at a place like the dump, are hazardous to human health.

Only about 18 percent of the 232 million computers and televisions thrown out in 2007 were recycled, according to DEQ. Kiwala said she estimated that about 12.2 million pounds of electronics will come though E-Cycles in 2009.

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