City to explore recycling options

Published 1:41 pm Tuesday, December 21, 2010

By By MIKE VOSS
mike@wdnweb.com
Contributing Editor

Washington City Council member William Pitt said he believes Washington “can become a local, if not regional, recycling center” for certain electronics.
Pitt’s comment came during the council’s Dec. 13 meeting, at which he discussed North Carolina’s law regarding the recycling of electronics, especially TVs and computers. The law, passed in 2007, requires manufacturers of TVs and computer equipment be responsible for the collection of their equipment (or share of). The law includes a ban on the disposal of computer equipment and TVs by way of the traditional waste stream (landfills, incinerators and “white-goods” pickup and disposal methods). The ban takes effect July 1, 2011.
Under the law, manufacturers may take on the responsibility of recycling their products or pay local governments to do so.
The electronics recycling law’s intent is to keep toxic materials used in the manufacture of electronics from entering the waste stream. The law also notes those materials need special handling. The law provides funding to help local governments recycle the electronic items regulated by the law. That funding is available to recycling programs that meet specific criteria.
Pitt told the council the law provides a good opportunity for the city to partner with other local governments to achieve the purpose of the law.
“It’s something we need to keep on the radar,” Pitt said.
Councilman Doug Mercer said he endorses the new law and compliance with it because it helps protect the environment.
The council wants more information about the program before choosing its course of action.
Beaufort County officials are reviewing information and exploring its options in regard to the recycling program.
Under the law, TV and computer equipment manufacturers pay fees to help pay for the recycling program. Those fees will be distributed every Feb. 15 to eligible counties. To be eligible, counties must have solid-waste plans that meet specific criteria regarding the disposal and/or recycling of electronics.
Those plans must address the following:
• Information about recycling programs in the county, including types of equipment to be collected and how the county will market its recycling effort.
• How the county will inform and educate the public about the recycling program.
• How the county will track and report the total tons of equipment collected.
• If the county will work with other governments to collect or recycle, and if so, how.
• How the county will account for the electronic management funding it receives.
The first deadline for becoming eligible is Dec. 31, with subsequent opportunities to become eligible each year. Local governments become eligible by amending their solid-waste plans so they comply with state law. Local governments that are eligible by Dec. 31 will receive funding by mid-February 2011.
The funding may be used for capital, operating and educational/promotional costs associated with the program.
The law allows more than one local government in a county to be eligible for funding. Local governments may enter into interlocal agreements to operate electronics recycling programs and share funding. A local government may write a separate solid-waste plan that includes the electronics components spelled out in the law.
For more information about the electronics recycling program, go to http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wm/sw/electronics.