PUHI — Puhi Metals Recycling Center will be accepting eWaste free of charge starting June 1. The service will be offered during the center’s regular hours of operation, Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PMRC is at
PUHI — Puhi Metals Recycling Center will be accepting eWaste free of charge starting June 1.
The service will be offered during the center’s regular hours of operation, Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PMRC is at 3951 Puhi Road.
“We are pleased to announce the new service on Earth Day,” said acting county engineer Lyle Tabata. “This will allow our residents and businesses to recycle their old electronics responsibility, keep toxic waste out of our landfill and preserve our resources for future generations.”
The county had to find someone to accept eWaste because its three-year contract with T&N Computer Recycling Services was scheduled to expire May 14.
“Market conditions for eWaste have declined dramatically since the contract was signed, and state funding for eWaste ended on Dec. 31, 2015,” said a county press release that announced the end of the contract.
Growing electronic waste and what to do with it is a worldwide problem.
A report from United Nations University found that the world produced 41.8 million metric tons of eWaste in 2014, while a 2015 United Nations study found the U.S. is the world’s biggest producer of electronic waste.
The eWaste that will be accepted at PMRC include televisions, laptops, desktops, printers, audio and video, equipment, gaming devices, etc.
A complete list of items that can be taken to the center can be found at www.kauai.gov/ewaste.
The eWaste will be packed on site and shipped to IMS Electronics Recycling in Vancouver, Wash., where it will be disassembled and separated for recycling.
Info: 241-4841.
