Electronics recycling program attracts enthusiastic crowd

FALLS VILLAGE — Housatonic Valley Regional High School science teacher Douglas Weisman had a horrible dream the night before the school’s electronics recycling day Saturday, March 22: Weisman and his students were ready for the event but no one showed up for it.

However, as is often the case with that kind of nightmare, nothing could have been further from the truth. People started arriving with computer monitors, cell phones and hard drives a full half hour before the 9 a.m. starting time. Weisman did not yet have precise numbers by press time, but he estimated that hundreds of people backed into the student parking lot in front of the agriculture education center, eager to dispose of electronic devices in exchange for a modest donation. Still more came to look over the working merchandise and take some of it home.

"Some people walked away with entire computer systems," said Weisman, who advises the school’s recycling team.

Other usable equipment was donated to charity. Proceeds from the event benefited the school’s Water for Africa project, a student group that provides humanitarian aid to charities in Africa. In addition, energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs were for sale and were available free of charge for those who donated $5 or more to the cause. Weisman said $1,155 was raised and 20,000 pounds of material was carted away.

"It was a steady flow," Weisman said of the people who came by during the course of the day. "A couple of times it got pretty crazy."

To facilitate the removal and disposal effort, the recycling team had contracted with East Coast Asset Recovery, a Connecticut-based company that offers no-cost computer and electronics disposal to organizations.

On its Web site, East Coast says an estimated half billion cell phones are awaiting disposal worldwide. Unfortunately, in 2005, only 12 percent of the 24 million pounds of discarded cell phone material was recycled. Every day an average of 130,000 personal computers are disposed of in the United States.

The team used a variety of sales pitches to get people to rid themselves of old electronics equipment: make room for new electronics; get rid of clutter; help those in need; help prevent the release of hazardous waste into landfills and incinerators.

Including DVD players, printers, stereos and MP3 players, Americans own an estimated 2 billion electronics products, or about 25 items per home, according to statistics collected for the recycling drive. Many of these items, especially those containing batteries, contain toxic substances that would likely harm the environment if not disposed of in a responsible way.

Since the event exceeded expectations, Weisman said he hopes to run another recycling day next year.