Nearly 1,100 Drop Off Electronic and Chemical Waste for Recycling

Joe Fernandez of the Pinellas County Solid Waste Division has seen a lot of waste over the years.

Fernandez wore a poncho and a baseball cap as he oversaw the collection of electronic and chemical waste from nearly 1,100 cars that rolled through Dunedin High School on Feb. 5.

He said that last year, Pinellas County collected about 3.25 million cumulative pounds of electronic and chemical waste from countywide collection points, and that the northern part of the county is the program’s biggest participator. It’s not uncommon for towns like Dunedin, East Lake, Tarpon Springs and Palm Harbor to see more than 1,000 cars during a five-hour period.

“The state of Florida has the most comprehensive program in the U.S.,” Fernandez said. “A lot of counties follow what Pinellas is doing.”

This year, Dunedin saw 1,092 cars.

A bulk of the cars came during the early hours before morning showers put a damper on things. At the morning’s peak, employees from EQ of Florida and Creative Recycling handled 170 cars within 15 minutes, Fernandez said. Dunedin High School’s ROTC program also helped.

Fernandez said that among the more interesting trends he’s noticed over the years is an upswing in electronic waste, which he attributes to an increased dependency on computers and technology, and also more drop-offs for florescent bulbs, which he attributes to a move toward more energy efficient lighting.

“There’s mercury in the bulbs,” he said. “The whole bulb is recyclable.”

Dunedin’s final collection figures won’t be available for another couple weeks, Fernandez said.