So, you finally decided to pitch that old Gateway computer that was brand-new back in 1995 and survived several moves before being replaced in 2002 by a Dell laptop that, in turn, is now a relic compared to your shiny desktop Mac.
If you were on the lookout for an eco-friendly way to get rid of your old machines, then maybe you carted them to one of Henrico County's three electronics-recycling events last month. In addition to other nearby localities — including the city of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Goochland and Hanover — Henrico works with the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority to set up several collection events in the spring and fall, says Steve Yob, director of the county's solid-waste division.
Yob says Henrico has collected about 400,000 pounds of electronics since 2004 — including cell phones, TVs, computer hard drives and monitors. The events tend to yield an average of 100 pounds of e-waste for each participating person, Yob says. Last month's recycling drives came right as CBS's 60 Minutes blew the lid off of unethical e-cycling practices elsewhere that contribute to toxic pollution and serious health hazards in far-flung locales. Of course, this made us curious about where all of our local e-waste is going.
Yob invited us to check out the CVWMA's contractor, Supreme Asset Management & Recovery online ( samrecovery.com ). Yob notes that the company was chosen partly for its ethical collection and disassembly practices, which are handled at a facility in New Jersey. OK, now we can sleep a little easier.
