Electronics Recycling Goes Mainstream in 2012

Electronics are always hot items to give or receive over the holidays. Whether you have a new flatscreen TV, laptop, DVD or MP3 player your old electronics may be left waiting in a pile to go out with the trash.

Soon, tossing those items in the trash will no longer be an option. A new state law that went into effect Jan. 1 bans all electronics from landfills and requires recycling of electronics. want residents to be aware of the impending change.

The electronics ban is part of Senate Bill 2106 that updated the state’s Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act, requiring all electronics to be recycled by a registered collector, recycler or manufacturer. Electronic items will no longer be taken away with the trash in regular bins and violating the law could lead to a $7,000 fine.

“Electronics are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. waste system and contain hazardous materials such as lead and mercury,” DuPage County Environmental Committee Chairman Jeff Redick (District 2) said in a news release.

“Unfortunately only 25 percent of electronics are recycled. The new electronics ban will ensure that people think twice before they throw an electronic away and hopefully they will seek other opportunities to either reuse the item or recycle it.”

You can check the DuPage County website for places where you can recycle your electronics locally.

Items accepted at these locations include:

• Personal computers
• Laptops
• Monitors
• Televisions
• Keyboards
• Mice
• Fax machines
• VCR and DVD players
• Video game consoles

For more information on the landfill ban and a list of free designated recycling collection sites, visit DuPage County’s website at dupageco.org/recycling.