Second life for eWaste

LIHUE – In response to the growing need for a permanent collection site for unwanted electronics commonly known as eWaste, county officials have set up an eWaste program at the Kauai Resource Center on designated days each month.

Residents and businesses can now drop off obsolete or unwanted electronic products at KRC on the second Friday and Saturday of the month between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.

“We started the new eWaste recycling service in partnership with T&N Recycling Services last weekend and were very pleased with the steady flow of customers,” said Allison Fraley, Solid Waste program development coordinator.

Kalaheo resident Ron Hill was one of the first to take advantage of the new recycling service. He brought in a printer that had recently stopped working.

“I think it’s great that we now have a place where we can take unwanted electronics for recycling,” said Hill, adding that he was also glad that he was able to recycle old batteries at the same convenient location.

In the past, residents and businesses on Kauai have held on to eWaste and participated in annual and periodic events.

“Fortunately, this waste, more than any other type, is the waste that people hold on to and find proper disposal methods before disposing of it,” a county release said. “Otherwise, it has been disposed of at the landfill.”

Under the Electronic Device and Television Recycling Law that went into effect in 2010, manufacturers are responsible for providing recycling programs for covered electronic devices.

The current Kauai County program is covered by a consortium of eWaste manufacturers as intended under the law administered by the state Department of Health.

The contract is for a one-year term with options to extend by mutual agreement between both parties.

During the eWaste collection last week, the county’s recycling specialist Keola Aki was busy going through different batteries left by customers.

“There’s a bin for everything,” Aki said. “If people don’t segregate the batteries, then we end up doing it.”

He said the most popular batteries being turned in include the alkaline and carbon zinc batteries that need to be separated from rechargeable batteries.

“It takes about a month to fill a barrel with these batteries,” he said. “That’s a lot of batteries.”

Laura Kelly, the county’s recycling and waste prevention specialist, was discussing composting with a group of people interested in getting a free compost bin Friday.

“People can come in, view a video on composting, and after a short discussion on how to make composting work, they get a free compost bin,” Kelly said. “In addition to composting, there are a lot of other areas in the ‘What Goes Where’ campaign which people can learn about.”

She said on the days they don’t do eWaste, she is going to try and be there from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“There are other things to do and talk about,” she said.

Kelly said there are other areas residents can get involved in for free, such as battery recycling, motor oil recycling, and of course, composting.

“Battery recycling is a labor intensive proposition,” Kelly said. “They can bring their batteries to the KRC and learn how to segregate the different batteries to minimize the amount of labor involved.”

Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr., who visited the Kauai Resource Center on the first day the new eWaste service was offered, expressed his delight with the public’s response.

“I am very pleased that our residents and businesses are disposing their electronics in a responsible manner,” said the mayor. “By bringing their eWaste to the new collection site, they are protecting our landfill by keeping toxic waste out and preserving our resources for future generations.”

For a complete list of what electronic items are accepted for recycling in the county’s eWaste Program, please go to www.kauai.gov/recycling, or call 241-4841.