Hi-tech recycling returns

January 05, 2009 08:46 pm

— By Janet Jacobs
Daily Sun

Once again, Navarro County residents are being offered the chance to dump those old electronics, such as computers, printers, televisions and accessories, in an environmentally-friendly way, and help school kids at the same time.
The e-waste recycling days will take place from 1-4 p.m. Jan. 16, and from 9 a.m. until noon on Jan. 17 at 3621 W. Seventh Ave., the parking lot of the former Super K-Mart.
The devices will be taken to the Texas Department of Corrections to be refurbished then donated to public schools that can’t afford computers. The computers that can’t be refurbished will be sold to a company which strips them down to the basics and recycles them, keeping them out of landfills.
Last year was the first time Navarro County participated in the statewide program, and volunteers collected 18 tons of computers and electronics in two days, said Derek Scasta of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
“It’s a good project, and a good program, it’s a win-win for everybody,” said Scasta. “We felt like we got such a good response last year there had to be more items out there. I’ve had calls requesting another collection, as had Corsicana. And since we partner up with the Department of Criminal Justice to provide training for inmates, and it goes to Texas schools, there was no reason not to do it.”
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice takes the machines to a computer recovery facility at either the Wynne Unit in Huntsville or the Daniel Unit in Snyder. There, the machinery is checked over and if it’s reusable, it’s put through a refurbishing process. Donors shouldn’t worry about any information left on the computers, since each hard drive is cleaned twice at the facility — once when it arrives, and again before it leaves.
The prison program is just one of a series of high-tech programs in Texas prisons that help train offenders while also helping communities.
In Texas, it’s estimated that 1.5 million computers are discarded annually, with roughly 162,000 recycled, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Computers that end up in landfills are a concern because they contain lead, mercury, cadmium and flame retardants, according to the EPA.
For more information on the local e-waste recycling program, call the city’s environmental services department at (903) 654-4889, or the AgriLife Extension Office at (903) 654-3075.
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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com

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