New program offers free recycling of computers, other 'e-waste' New program offers free recycling of computers, other 'e-waste' (July 06, 2005)

By Katie Bearman

Special to the Almanac

San Mateo County is stepping up efforts to remedy what has become a momentous global problem -- electronic waste disposal.

Three organizations recently kicked off a program called ReCompute, which aims to refurbish and recycle 1,000 tons of computers and television sets per year in San Mateo, San Francisco and Marin counties, said Matt Beckert of Goodwill Industries, one of the partners.

Unlike other organizations in the county that recycle electronic waste, or "e-waste," ReCompute offers its services free of charge.

San Mateo County's six main recycling services now process about 569 tons of e-waste annually, according to ReCompute partner RecycleWorks, a county organization that provides education on sustainability, green buildings and recycling.

That's the bulk of e-waste recycling that now occurs in the county, said Malia Langworthy of the county's Public Works Department.

Through ReCompute, Goodwill donation centers accept computers and television sets -- both functional and broken. (See information box below on Menlo Park drop-off.)

Goodwill can sell products that are still in good condition.

Unusable products are sent to Vocational Rehabilitation Services in San Carlos, where employees refurbish between 10 and 15 percent of the machines in top condition to be resold at Goodwill.

Employees take apart and sort certain parts of the remaining machines, but don't disassemble computer monitors and circuit boards, said Robert Mankia of the San Mateo County Human Services Agency.

Monitors, circuit boards and other parts that can release toxins when taken apart are instead sent to specialized electronic and metal recycling centers that are approved under state law, he added.

All data on computer hard drives is destroyed, said Mr. Beckert.
Health hazards

Hundreds of thousands of electronic products are replaced every year in California. Less than 15 percent of this so-called archaic rubble is recycled statewide, said the Environmental Protection Agency. Instead, the electronics go to municipal landfills, posing environmental hazards and health threats to the public.

While it is illegal for Californians to throw away their computers and television sets, many people are unaware of the law and of opportunities to recycle electronics, Ms. Langworthy said.

Various environmental watchdog groups, including Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, claim that many electronic products said to be recycled in the United States are actually exported to Asia, where they are handled in ways that endanger human health and natural ecosystems. Mr. Beckert said that this will not occur with the electronic waste that ReCompute processes.

"All of our vendors are audited for downstream end-of-life product management, and none of the products are going out of country," he said.

ReCompute is made possible largely through the provisions of California's Electronic Waste Disposal Act, signed in September 2003 and revised in 2004. The bill's provisions regarding taxes and reimbursements should help ReCompute offer free services, Ms. Langworthy said.

Under the act, the state gives money to various approved organizations when they collect or recycle electronic waste, she added..

In addition to facilitating electronic waste disposal, ReCompute will generate new jobs for San Mateo County residents, said Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez, CEO and president of Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties. Vocational Rehabilitative Services will hire and train people who face employment obstacles, giving them the skills to disassemble, rebuild and test electronics.

"This is a landmark program ... it offers people with employment barriers and disabilities the opportunity to learn marketable skills and it allows electronics to be refurbished and reused," said San Mateo County Supervisor Jerry Hill.
INFORMATION

Residents can recycle computers and TV monitors at most Goodwill centers. In Menlo Park, take the items to the Safeway parking lot at 525 El Caminio Real, at the corner of Middle Avenue, where a collection truck is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For other drop-off locations and information, go to sfgoodwill.org or call 1-888-4GOODWILL.

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