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| At a press conference to announce the launch of e-cycle St. Louis on Feb. 7, 2006, the speakers were, from left: Ken Steinback of CSI Leasing, Inc., Mike Menneke of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Kacky Garner of U.S. Senator Jim Talent's office, Doug Adams of the Saint Louis County Health Department, and Bob Wagner of St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District. Photo Credit: Tim Parker | Old electronics are disassembled and shredded at EPC's E-Scrap facility in Earth City, Missouri. Jon Pais of EPC led a plant tour for visitors, from left: John Fumagalli, Ann Hughes, and Darcy Capstick. Photo Credit: Tim Parker | |
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| Kacky Garner of U.S. Senator Jim Talent's office explains federal legislation that has been proposed to encourage electronics recycling. Photo Credit: Tim Parker | Mike Menneke from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources provides a statewide perspective on the need for electronics recycling. Photo Credit: Tim Parker | |
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| Douglas Adams lauds the St. Louis Regional Partnership for Electronics Recycling for its work in developing e-cycle St. Louis. Adams is from the Saint Louis County Health Department. Photo Credit: Tim Parker | Robert Wagner welcomes guests to a press conference to mark the launch of e-cycle St. Louis. Wagner is Chairman of St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District. Photo Credit: Tim Parker |
E-CYCLE ST. LOUIS LAUNCHES NEW CONSUMER ELECTRONICS RECYCLING PROGRAM
FOR THE ST. LOUIS REGION
Program Encourages Residents To Recycle Unwanted Electronics Items
ST. LOUIS, MO, February 7, 2006 – Today e-cycle St. Louis launched an exciting new consumer electronics recycling program for the St. Louis region. With new technology entering the marketplace every day, the amount of outdated and unwanted consumer electronics – computers, TVs, and cell phones – is growing by the hour. Proper disposal of unwanted electronics has never been more needed.
Funded by a grant from the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District and Missouri Department of Natural Resources, e-cycle St. Louis is a cooperative effort between local government agencies and electronics recyclers to encourage residents to drop off old electronics equipment. Depending on the condition of the items, they may be recycled, or if in working condition, may be refurbished and reused.
“Across the U.S., an estimated 63 million computers became obsolete in 2005,” said Robert Wagner, Chairman, St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District. “Rather than throw them away and clog landfills, e-cycle St. Louis allows area residents an option for properly handing this waste.”
Outdated and unwanted electronics equipment may contain contaminants like lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, even PCBs that must be reclaimed and recycled. If electronics are sent to landfills and not properly disposed, their toxic materials and heavy metals can be harmful to the environment.
“The danger of disposing of electronic waste in landfills is [that] many electronic components contain hazardous toxins such as lead and mercury,” said U.S. Senator Jim Talent. “Senator Ron Wyden, who is a Democrat from Oregon and I have proposed a simple, incentive-based solution to this growing problem. We want to create an infrastructure for people and businesses to move old televisions and computer monitors out of storage in a way that’s safe and good for the environment.”
In 2002, The St. Louis Regional Partnership for Electronics Recovery was formed to develop an area-wide consumer electronics collection program. The Partnership has created e-cycle St. Louis, which is a centralized information source for residents about how to handle unwanted electronics. The Partnership has registered ten collection sites which are a mixture of non-profit, privately owned and government-operated enterprises. These “host sites” are open to the public for dropping off used electronics. Fees apply to some products and each site has its own fee structure.
“We are encouraging residents to clean out their closets, basement, attic, garage – all those places we store old stereos, TVs and computers,” said Laura Yates, Waste Management Specialist for Saint Louis County Health Department and a member of the Partnership. “The next step is to determine whether your items can be donated, reused, or recycled. Our Web site has useful tips to help make those decisions.”
For example, donating an old computer to a school or charity can be a good option, but it is important to understand that obsolete equipment frequently becomes a burden for the charity. If the organization cannot easily use or upgrade the equipment, they then have to find a safe way to dispose of it.
The e-cycle St. Louis program helps conserve natural resources, create jobs, support the community and protect the environment. For a list of locations and what items are accepted at each location please visit the new e-cycle St. Louis Web site at www.ecyclestlouis.org.