Earth Day E-cycling

I still have the first computer I ever bought. It's collecting dust in my attic right next to an old turntable, a photo scanner and a couple of old satellite receivers. I'm not sure why I'm keeping this stuff. It's not like old technology is suddenly going to come back in style. Come Friday morning, I’m going to get rid of all this junk during the ABC13 Earth Day E-cycling Drive. This is your opportunity to get rid of old electronics you no longer need.

On April 20 from 6 AM til Noon you can drop off your old gadgets at the KTRK studios at 3310 Bissonnet. We’re teaming up with ScrapComputers, an electronics recycling company here in Houston. Anything that can be reused will be sent to developing countries. Electronics that don’t work will be taken apart and used in other ways. We’ll also be collecting old cell phones, eye glasses, hearing aids, even clothes. The idea is to encourage recycling and cut down on the amount of trash we’re sending to the landfill.

Check our website for a complete list of items we'll be collecting and items excluded from the drive.

And Happy Earth Day!

Comments

[Tim Heller]

The commercial recycling company we worked with only recycled electronic equipment like computers, printers, scanners, cellphones, etc., which people tend to replace every year or so. The company checks out the electronic items and if they work, they are reused. If they don't work, they're taken apart and the parts are reused in other ways. As I understand it, there's not much you can reuse on an old TV.

Because of the time involved in taking apart old electronics, e-cyclers usually charge a small fee for each item which is why people tend to keep the stuff or trash it. Friday morning, thousands of people took advantage of this free opportunity to get rid of their old electronics. We kept several truckfuls of junk out of the landfill.

[Glen]

I find it disconcerting that as a commercial television station that has actively encouraged consumers to switch to plasma and HDTVs, that you are excluding televisons (an enormous e-waste in themselves) from collection in your Earth Day 2007 collection drive.
Shame on you.