Electronic Recycling

Tools

By Brenda Bassett

Story Published: Feb 19, 2010 at 6:56 AM MST

Story Updated: Feb 19, 2010 at 6:56 AM MST

BILLINGS - If you have an old computer or other electronic devices around the house that you don't use any more, it's likely you don't know what to do with them. A good option is to choose recycling over the landfill.

Plus, keeping up with the latest advances in electronics can be a difficult task because electronics are constantly changing. "Electronic companies make things to become obsolete in just a couple years," said Barb Bulter, the Environmental Compliance Coordinator with the City of Billings.

When you upgrade your computer or television taking them to the dump brings some extremely big risks because electronics often contain elements such as mercury, lead and other toxic chemicals. "We want to keep those out of the landfill. They contain heavy metals that can leech into the groundwater and potentially contaminate the Yellowstone River," said Bulter.

While recycling options are limited, there are some here in Billings. Tatooine Electronic Systems, is an electronic waste recycling center accepting a wide-array of electronics of any age and any condition. Whether is a computer, TV monitors, keyboards, establishments like this will ensure that electronics are disposed of properly and keeps thousands of tons of waste out of landfills each year.

"They go back into the manufacturing stream as a raw material for new products and kept out of the landfill," Said Brandon Fox with Tatooine Electronic Systems.

One of the biggest barriers to recycling are transportation costs, in order to get the products to different markets.

Tatooine will take some electronics for free, but charge 30 cents per pound for transportation and dismantle costs of specific items. One Montana resident thinks that's a pretty small price to pay if it helps to protect our quality of life. "I didn't just want to put it in the landfill. I know you're not suppose to do that anyway, so I didn't really know what else to do with it until I found out about this recycle place," Tom Lyman.

Electronics are currently not banned from Montana landfills, but Butler believes that days is coming. "Its important to keep these nasty things out of the landfill and everything recycled saves landfill space." And, it helps keep dangerous materials from contaminating the local landscape and groundwater.

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Aaron said on Friday, Feb 19 at 4:13 PM

I think that a lot of people don't realize how much damage old electronics do when not properly recycled. Here is an article from The Greener Truth that talks about a really neat solution to this problem. http://thegreenertruth.com/2010/02/what-do-you-do-with-your-old-electronics/

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