Don't throw out that old computer: it'll be against the law Oct. 1

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

By ROBERT McCLURE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

As of Saturday, it will be illegal to throw your computer in the trash in King County. Same for televisions, computer monitors, laptops and cellular phones.

So county officials were relieved to announce Tuesday that the network of businesses accepting electronics for recycling -- for a fee, of course -- has just expanded considerably with the addition of 14 Staples stores in and around Seattle.


		Dan DeLong / P-I
	A box of old keyboards was on dis-play where King County announced that Staples will be part of the "Take It Back Network" for recycling computers and related equipment.

The office-supply company becomes the first major national retailer to provide such a service on a permanent basis, said Lisa Sepanski, project manager of King County's Take It Back Network.

Sepanski said county officials have heard from a few people that they are irritated about having to pay to recycle electronic equipment.

"But that's a minority. Most people are glad to have such a convenient location" as Staples, Sepanski said. "When we tell them they can take it to a Staples store, they're thrilled."

Earlier this month, Seattle-area Staples stores put out displays offering to take back computer monitors for $12 each. For $8, consumers can recycle computers, fax machines, scanners and miscellaneous equipment such as printers, PDAs and all-in-ones.

Without any outside promotion, the program attracted 300 turn-ins during the first eight days, said Dave Pedigo, Staples' district manager.

Staples did several trial runs before deciding to make the project permanent, Pedigo said.

"We had some great response, and that just started to snowball," Pedigo said as he eyed mounds of old computers piled outside Staples' Interbay store Tuesday. They were headed for Total Reclaim, the South Seattle recycler contracted by Staples to handle the waste.

The recycling fee does not make a profit for Staples, Pedigo said. No televisions, radios or stereos are accepted at the stores.

"They basically take back the products they sell," Sepanski said. Other members of the Take It Back Network (www.takeitbacknetwork.org; 206-296- 4466) do accept televisions, radios and stereos, and pretty much anything else electronic -- for a modest fee.

The city of Seattle has already banned electronic waste from its trash.

Environmentalists and government officials in recent years have been alarmed by the number of computers and other electronic equipment dumped in landfills, where they take up space and can leach dangerous chemicals. Also raising concern are reports of dangerous "sham" recycling of computers in the Third World.

Thirty-one businesses are participating in the Take It Back Network. Three other Staples stores in Snohomish County also are participating in the program.

P-I reporter Robert McClure can be reached at 206-448-8092 or robertmcclure@seattlepi.com.

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