Ecology Youth Corps get it done!

Litter season ends with a landfill tour, celebration

Ecology Youth Corps across Washington wrapped up their season this week, including crews from Central Washington that worked from the top of Snoqualmie Pass to Highway 14 along the Columbia River.

It was a productive summer, with youth crews across the state picking up more than a million pounds of litter on state roadways. The crews sort out the recyclables, then send the rest to a landfill.

Youth ended their season with a visit to the Terrace Heights Landfill

"This is the first job for many of these kids," said longtime regional EYC supervisor Rod Hankinson. "These kids are tough - this isn't an easy job.

 

"I tell them this is the kind of work that helps them throughout their life, it teaches them to respect the environment and what they can do about it. It sets them up to receive recommendations to college from their supervisors, and if they work for me for two years - they'll get a recommendation from me."

What did they find on the roadways? Alongside the cigarette butts, fast-food paper waste, cups, cans and bottles you would expect, each year brings surprises. One girl found a "ninja star," another found baby clothes. Pocket knives and phones are common finds. In the Seattle area, an EYC crew came across a World War I-era rifle (which was passed on to police). Larger debris, like boards, car parts and furniture is also hauled away.

The central region crews ended their season with a tour of the Terrace Heights Landfill in Yakima County, where they learned about recycling and reusing household hazardous wastes like paint, batteries and household cleaning products. They watched yard waste being chipped and turned into valuable compost. They tested the temperatures of various yard waste piles to check on the progress of the composting process. They learned the life of the landfill was coming to an end -- all the more reason for recyclable products to find a new life as a new product in new markets.

 

To end their summer tour, the EYC crews left the landfill for a picnic of pizza in the park. Needless to say, after they finished eating, they picked up their trash and left the park spotless. Check out the crew's Flickr set

 
Want to know where you can recycle moderate risk waste in your community?
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/mrw/mrw_contacts.html#local

Story and photos by Joye Redfield-Wilder, Central Regional Communications Manager



Ecology Youth Corp Crews from Ellensburg to Goldendale celebrate the end of the 2016 litter pickup season

 

Hazardous waste: Out of sight, out of mind?

Ecology hazardous waste inspector challenges all of us to think again 

by Krista Kenner, communications

It’s easy to go about your day and not think about hazardous waste disposal—out of sight, out of mind, right? But it’s important to step back every so often and think about how we as a community, and as individuals, generate and manage our waste.

And more importantly ask, can we do a better job?

Mindy Collins, hazardous waste compliance inspector in Ecology’s Bellingham office, has thought about waste almost every day of her 20-year environmental career, which has largely focused on waste disposal and management.

Collins is part of Ecology’s Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction team. Her job is to help businesses figure out how to better manage the waste they generate. (And save money along the way.)

Sometimes that means reducing waste through innovation. Other times that means changing disposal methods. But before she can do any of that, she has to learn about their business, their products and the processes that create waste.

“I feel so lucky,” said Collins. “I get to talk to people about their businesses, and learn about their products. The stories I get to hear about the history of the company, or how they started making a product—it’s just fascinating.”

Different businesses, common concerns

You might be surprised to learn the wide range of businesses and organizations that generate hazardous waste. Big box stores, hospitals, universities, and even art studios, to name a few.

Collins typically visits businesses that generate a significant volume of hazardous waste—220 lbs or more of waste per month—or those that need additional help managing it. In the last year, she visited a boat builder, wood treatment facility, aerospace manufacturer, pharmaceutical manufacturer, a company that makes fishing lures, and a company that makes orthotics for children.

“There’s one commonality in all of these vastly different companies,” Collins said. “Business owners are busy. And let’s face it, environmental regulations can be confusing—especially to someone who doesn’t work with them every day. I really enjoy helping people navigate the process.”

She looks at how wastes are stored, and whether there are any risks to human health or the environment. Are the containers appropriate, and in good condition? Are they labeled correctly? Is there a spill response plan? She also looks at the company’s waste disposal records to see what is going where. Each industry and business has its own set of challenges and complexities, but success stories abound.

Putting business practices to good use

Earth Day is less than two weeks away, making April a great month to look inward and refocus our own daily habits. How can we take a Mindy Collins approach to household waste? What ingredients make up the products we use? How should they be safely disposed? What are we throwing away that could be put to better use?

Most of us lead busy lives and changing habits is difficult—especially when we don’t have an environmental consultant to guide us. So we’ve culled our online resources to help you.

Tools to reduce, manage, and safely dispose of household waste:

1.) Be curious. We have a team of people that test consumer products to ensure that manufacturers are complying with restrictions and reporting requirements. You can read these reports, or search for information on individual products.

2.) Choose safer products. We’ve compiled a list of great resources for shoppers looking for safer, greener products. EPA also has an interactive tool to help find better products for the home, school, office and more.

3.) Think before you buy, or throw away. Adhesives, degreasers, toilet cleaners, batteries, and paint are among the many hazardous wastes that are common in households. Choose alternative products, buy in small quantities, and safely dispose at a hazardous waste collection site.

4.) Recycle fluorescent lights. The LightRecycle Washington program helps Washington residents and businesses recycle fluorescent and mercury-containing lights for free.

5.) Recycle electronics. E-Cycle Washington is a successful program that helps keep old electronics, which may contain toxic materials, out of our landfills. Bring televisions, computers, monitors and tablets and more to an e-Cycle location in your area.

Earth Day every day

Earth Day is Friday, April 22. (And every day is a good day to inspire better habits for the environment!) In the next two weeks, we’ll have additional blog posts about our work and how you can help protect the earth! Find it all on our social media channels by searching #EarthPassItOn.

1-800-RECYCLE answers the big questions

By Andrew Wineke, communications manager, Waste 2 Resources

Where do you go to recycle llama poop?

That was one of the first questions Ecology’s Michelle Payne received when she began staffing the 1-800-RECYCLE hotline back in 1998.

Most of us know where to go to recycle aluminum cans or newspapers, but what about a tanning bed? How about a scuba tank? What about an old set of blueprints?

The 1-800-RECYCLE line (1-800-732-9253) is a free service that helps Washington residents find the appropriate place to recycle just about everything. The hotline’s database includes 1,801 recycling facilities and 116 different types of recyclable materials.

And, yes, that includes llama manure. As it turns out, Payne says, you can take it to a composting facility.

The 1-800-RECYCLE hotline has operated since 1976, and the 1800RECYCLE.wa.gov website came online along with Michelle in 1998. The 1-800-RECYCLE Facebook page started just last year.

Three Ecology staff members answer the hotline from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays – which will expand to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays beginning May 1. The phone team averages nearly 400 calls a month, while another 6,000 people find answers on the automated website.

The 1-800-RECYCLE team relies on local governments, businesses and the public to learn about new collection sites, or new materials being accepted for recycling. They work hard to keep the database current, checking on every facility via the web or through an email or phone call at least once a year.

If you know of a new facility, or an existing facility accepting new materials, email 1800recycle@ecy.wa.gov.

And if you’ve got some alpaca scat you need to unload, now you know who to call.

Stuff & Junk: Message in the Materials 2015

By Joye Redfield-Wilder,
Communications manager, central regional office

Students in the Yakima area explored current environmental issues and the effects of climate change as part of this year’s Message in the Materials art show and educational outreach program hosted by our Central Regional Office in Yakima.

In anticipation of Earth Day (April 22), students created jewelry pieces from recycled materials and created Climate Change Collages from recycled magazines. Their works are on display through May 15 at the Central office, 15 W. Yakima Ave., Suite 200.

Jewelry pieces made with re-purposed materials

The students from Davis and Eisenhower high schools titled their show this year Stuff & Junk (Click on Stuff & Junk album to see close-up photos and descriptions)

That would be “stuff and junk”– like magazines, recycled leather, buttons, old jewelry and beads and other “found” items to create something new, personal and beautiful.

CRO employees gathered up the “resources” for the projects, scouring their old jewelry boxes, magazine racks and calendar piles to supply students with materials for their creations.

Eisenhower student creates pendant from junk drawer crystals and jewelry

Eisenhower students were challenged to create a collage on the issues they were most passionate about as they considered how the Earth’s climate is changing.

They created flat art using magazine photos and other elements, accompanied by artist statements reflecting their thoughts on the subject.

Eisenhower jewelry students combined the old and the new --- like a deconstructed string of pearls attached to a newly created chain mail -- into innovative pieces. They were assigned to create an enamel piece, a resin piece using a recycled pop bottle cap, and pair with junk jewelry – mismatched earrings, studs, beads and baubles, shells – to create a new bracelet, necklace, anklet or earring set.

Davis students rolled paper beads and combined them with puzzle pieces, leather from old coats, hardware, buttons and ribbons - junk drawer finds to create bracelets, necklaces and earrings. 

ADDED BONUS:

On April 17, Yakima Valley students participated in the Skills USA state jewelry competition for high school students. Their challenge was to create a necklace (and maybe matching earrings) using new and recycled materials.

Food and flooding concerns considered in Climate Collage

They had 30 minutes to sketch a design from materials they were given in an envelope and three hours to construct the pieces - using scrap metals, vinyl molding, linoleum, recycled leather and beads. Students from Highland High School joined finalists also from Davis and Eisenhower schools.

WMS outreach too

Ecology staff visited classes relating information on protecting the environment and provided inspiration, and resources (old jewelry, magazines, etc.) for the projects.

Students at Wapato Middle School also had their own show: See the WMS Message in the Materials blog and Flickr album. And last year’s show at Message in the Materials 2014.

A penny for your thoughts, but $9 for your ABS switch

By Andrew Wineke, communications manager, Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program

There’s more than one way to skin a cat, as the saying goes. A less well known (but cat-friendlier) saying is that there is more than one way to get mercury out of the environment. Mercury, the silvery, liquid metal, is a problem child. It’s highly toxic, it lasts essentially forever, and it builds up in the environment, causing health effects and environmental damage.

You don’t see mercury thermometers and thermostats around as much as you once did, but small amounts of the toxic metal can still be found in a range of applications. Because mercury is so dangerous, it’s important to find every bit of it we can and collect it before it can cause damage.

Mercury pellets from automotive switches.

One program that has been extremely effective in Washington is working with auto recyclers to collect mercury-containing automotive switches.

In older cars, many of the light, airbag and anti-lock brake switches contain a tiny pellet of mercury, so it makes sense to work with auto recyclers to collect those before the cars are cut up and turned into scrap.

Washington’s program pays recyclers $3 for light switches and $9 for ABS switches (which contain more mercury).

Does it work? Just look at the numbers:

• Since 2006, Ecology’s program has collected 234,500 switches
• Removing those switches has kept more than 500 pounds of mercury out of the environment
• In 2014, the program collected 1,518 ABS switches and 21,152 light switches, removing 50 pounds of mercury in the process.

Many other states offer similar programs, but Washington is a national leader in mercury removal. Our automotive switch program ranked fifth in the nation in mercury collected, despite Washington having a much smaller population and fewer vehicles than some of the other states.

What you can do
 It hopefully goes without saying, but you should not pull the ABS switch out of your car just because it may contain mercury. As long as the mercury is contained in the switch, it’s very safe. Ecology’s collection program is aimed at preventing long-term environmental damage.

However, there are some items most of us have around our homes that also contain mercury: fluorescent light bulbs and electronics.

As long as your fluorescent light bulbs are working, they’re safe and you can leave them be. When they do burn out, though, make sure you take the bulbs to a recycling center.

In January, Washington launched the LightRecycle program, which accepts fluorescent bulbs at convenient locations around the state. So do your part to keep mercury out of the environment and recycle your fluorescents!

For electronics, Washington’s E-Cycle program accepts TVs, computers and other electronic items and ensures they are properly recycled. It’s free and it’s easy, with more than 400 drop-off locations around the state. Since 2009, the E-Cycle program has collected more than 250 million pounds of electronics.

Recycling – another way to reduce our carbon footprint

By Andrew Wineke, communications manager, Waste 2 Resources Program

When we talk about climate change, we usually talk about improving fuel efficiency or increasing use of public transit. That makes sense, because in Washington, transportation is the single biggest source of our greenhouse gas emissions.


But did you know that recycling can also have a significant impact on the amount of greenhouse gases we produce?

It’s true. Collecting, processing, and transporting recycled materials almost always uses less energy than extracting, refining, transporting, and processing raw materials.

Consider the humble aluminum beverage can: To make an ordinary 12-ounce can, using recycled aluminum instead of raw materials reduces energy consumption by 95 percent.

Let’s run the numbers on a larger scale:

• In 2013, 8 million tons of material were collected for recycling in Washington. This effort:
• Saved energy equivalent to 1 billion gallons of gasoline, or more than 128 trillion British thermal units (BTUs) of energy.Prevented 3.1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions — about 905 pounds per person.
• That impact is similar to taking 2.4 million vehicles off the road.

Want to know more? We break the data down by category in this focus sheet. 

Air Time: Mild weather drawing you outside?

Consider alternatives to burning as you gather brush, leaves and yard waste

By Joye Redfield-Wilder, communications manager, Ecology's Central Regional Office

Unseasonably warm weather has many of us poking around in our gardens. The camellias are blooming, the daffodils and tulips are already poking up, and that yard debris you didn’t get to last fall may be calling to you.

Household chippers are affordable and create instant groundcover
 

With a little planning, you can turn that yard waste into a useful product – simply by chipping, mulching and composting. Household chippers are quite affordable these days and the shredded branches, twigs and leaves make a great groundcover and mulch around your home.

Composting creates a useful soil amendment, and like chipped materials, can save you from having to buy a comparable product at the garden store. Many communities have yard waste collection programs or community gardens where composting might be available.
Putting your waste to use in your yard has other benefits; it’s good for air quality and helps prevent unintended wildfires.

The Department of Natural Resources reports that in the past four years 562 unattended burn piles scorched 2,317 acres across the state. The smoke and damage from such fires is costly, not only in terms of human health, but also in responding firefighters and property loss. It’s just not worth the risks.

Burning leaves, twigs and other yard debris creates smoke that’s both a nuisance and harmful to you, your children and neighbors. Fires must be kept small and be attended with a water supply nearby to extinguish if it gets out of hand.

What a hassle when there are so many easy alternatives!

While burning remains an important tool for forest health and agriculture, outdoor burning was phased out in urban growth communities (UGAs), in 2006. Land clearing, agriculture and forest land fires require burn permits and such prescribed burning is only allowed on days when ventilation is good. You can be fined for illegal burning or burning without a permit.

Don’t ever burn garbage. Burning plastic, treated wood, garbage and even processed paper releases harmful chemicals, such as formaldehyde, mercury, arsenic, benzenes and dioxins to the atmosphere. Exposure can cause asthma, burning eyes, bronchitis, lung disease and chronic heart disease.

Though common in rural areas, burn barrels are banned in Washington.

This spring, arm yourself with a rake, chipper and spade and choose to mulch, chip and compost. Roll up your sleeves and breathe in the sparkling clean air of an early spring!

Related information:

1. Don’t burn it, recycle it!  Composting on your property is easy and there are many facilities that use this valuable material. www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/compost/

2. If you must burn, know the rules! And your local Air Authority jurisdiction. www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/local.html     

3. Be safe! Know who your local fire department is and what their rules are for both your home and vacation properties. Post this info at your cabin or on your refrigerator. 

4. Make sure it’s a burn day! This applies to outdoor burning and woodstoves too. www.waburnbans.net or call 800-406-5322, burn decision hotline. 

5. If you see someone burning illegally report it! Call 866-211-6284 statewide, 24-hour, toll free.

Recycling in Washington: How are we doing?

By Gretchen Newman, Lead Data Analyst, Waste 2 Resources

In a recent ECOconnect post, we talked about how food is the largest component of our garbage in Washington, at 17 percent (by weight) of what we throw in the trash. Wonder what makes up the rest of the trash? And how much are we recycling in Washington households and businesses?

Ecology Youth Corps: Making a Difference One Piece of Litter at a Time

By Erika Holmes, communications manager, Waste 2 Resources

Drivers are urged to watch out for 248 teens with the Ecology Youth Corps (EYC) picking up litter along roadways across the state through mid-August.

EYC crews based out of the Department of Ecology’s northwest and eastern regional offices started working in late June. The central crew began July 1, and the southwest crew begins work July 7.

Since 1975, the Ecology Youth Corps (EYC) has hired over 12,000 teens ages 14 to 17 to clean roadsides and other illegal dump sites. Youths from all over Washington gain valuable job skills, teamwork experience, safety awareness and education about environmental topics.

As we gear up for this summer’s cleaning, we want to share why this program is more than just picking up litter. In the following video, three people who’ve been there share their rewarding experiences working on the EYC.

Rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot appreciating the EYC in The Seattle Times. 

Sir Picks-a-Lot (of litter up)

Anthony Ray, or Sir Mix-a-Lot as he’s more commonly called now, worked on an EYC crew in the late 1970s. After reaching rap fame, he shared his experience with The Seattle Times. He brings up an important misconception about teens working for the EYC. They definitely aren’t juvenile delinquents. The best part: the EYC taught him work ethic, something “a lot of cats my age didn't have.”

That work ethic is proven by the numbers, and EYC crews didn’t disappoint in 2013.

 

2013 litter cleanup results

Last summer, EYC crews worked 64,869 hours (totals include spring and fall median crews):

• Picking up 1,081,874 pounds of litter
• Recycling 116,673 pounds of litter collected
• Cleaning 5,952 miles of road
• Cleaning up 192 illegal dumps

How you can help EYC crews

Step 1: The easy part: don’t litter.

Step 2: Look out for crews picking up litter on the road this summer. Give them a break for safety, and inform others about the important service they provide.

Step 3: Engage with the EYC on social media. We’ll post pictures and statistics from the road tagged with #EYC4life and #IThinkYouDroppedThis.

• Were you in the EYC? Post your old pictures and stories from the road using #EYC4life.
• See something somebody shouldn’t have tossed? Snap a photo and tag it with #IThinkYouDroppedThis.

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After 39 years, the 1-800-RECYCLE Hotline has joined the social revolution!

by Michelle Payne, outreach & education, Waste 2 Resources Program

The Washington Department of Ecology invites you to join our Facebook page for the 1-800-RECYCLE Hotline! Please visit our page, “like” us, and “share” it with your Facebook friends. You'll find Green Tips on Tuesday, Shout Outs on Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Trivia on Friday, and other interesting recycling information.

Throwback Thursday? Yeah, we do that.

Check out the 1-800-RECYCLE Hotline Facebook page to:

• Post recycling questions and receive answers.
• Locate recycling facilities and events.
• Learn ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
• Share innovative recycling ideas.

If you know of a useful recycling website, facility, or special collection event that we don’t have listed, please share it on our Facebook page. We want to learn from you, too!

What is the 1-800-RECYCLE Hotline?

The 1-800-RECYCLE team maintains a database of more than 1,500 recycling facilities to link the public with recycling opportunities available in Washington. We hope that through our use of social media, we will increase that number as we connect with new potential recyclers.

The hotline phone service remains a vital part of 1-800-RECYCLE and the E-Cycle program. You can still dial 1-800-RECYCLE and talk to a real person between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday (except holidays). You can also email us at 1800recycle@ecy.wa.gov.

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Re-use Center saves money and resources

By Tina Simcich, Green Purchasing, Waste 2 Resource Program

Need some binder clips? Looking for office organizing supplies? Want file labels NOW?!

At Ecology’s Lacey building, you can quickly find these items and more just an elevator ride away. Instead of purchasing new products, staff and agency purchasing coordinators often find what they need in the Re-use Center. Our new video takes you on a journey to the “treasure trove” organized by shipping and receiving warehouse staff.



The Re-use Center a quick way to restock supply rooms at no cost. "I find something our program needs each time I go down there. Usually, I check the Re-use Center for an item before placing a purchase request. I think it’s a pretty cool place, and sometimes I find supplies are in packaging that isn’t even opened," Purchasing Coordinator Divina Clark remarked about her experience.

Ecology saves money by avoiding the purchase of new items. Reuse also means avoiding the hassle of putting in a purchasing order and takes a load off of Ecology’s busy staff.

Many agencies and businesses are seeking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, wastes and other environmental impacts through a focus on sustainable consumption, including source reduction. Source reduction minimizes the quantity and toxicity of materials that later need to be disposed. Re-use can be a big part of source reduction as each file folder, stapler or calculator can be used by several staff until its functional life is over.

The Benefits of Re-use 

• Eliminates the cost of and shipping fees for new products.
• Reduces waste that is sent to landfills.
• Reduces the costs and waste of new product packaging.
• Reduces staff time to process purchase orders.
• Reduces toxics and greenhouse gases associated with the lifecycle of new products.

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2012 Washington Solid Waste Highlights

By Ellen Caywood, Environmental Planner, Waste 2 Resources Program

Washington’s waste management system relies on partnerships among state and local governments and the private sector. State law requires the Department of Ecology to develop regulations for solid waste handling and disposal facilities, and a state plan for managing and reducing waste.

To track progress, Ecology compiles an annual report of solid waste disposal and recycling trends in Washington. The report also tracks moderate risk waste trends, and what Ecology is doing to reduce the use and impacts of toxic substances.

Top Tidbits

We invite you to learn more in the 22nd Annual Solid Waste Status Report but want to share a quick list of tidbits:

• E-Cycle surpassed 200 million pounds of electronics recycled in the first five years! Learn more in Chapter 2.
• Learn about ways to recover nutrients and fuels from organic materials – composting, anaerobic digesters, and more in Chapter 2.
• Reducing toxic threats by preventing uses or releases in the first place is the smartest, cheapest, and healthiest approach. Learn about Ecology’s efforts in Chapter 2.
• What is the status of local solid and hazardous waste plans? How can I be involved in updating these plans? See Chapter 2 for details.
• In spite of continued budget reductions for litter pickup programs, over four million pounds of litter was collected in 2012 by the Ecology Youth Corps, local partners through the Community Litter Collection Program, and the Departments of Correction and Natural Resources. Details in Chapter 3.
• The 2012 statewide recycling rate was 50 percent. Find out which materials are included and the benefits of recycling in Chapter 4.
• In 2012, over 23 million pounds of hazardous waste was collected, and 84 percent was recycled, reused or used for energy recovery. Find out what types of wastes and details by county in Chapter 5.

Find all this and much, much more in the 22nd Annual Solid Waste Status Report!

Please contact Ellen Caywood for more information (360-407-6132).

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The Benefits of Recycling

By Dan Weston, Recycling Data Analyst

Each year, Ecology's Waste 2 Resources Program collects recycling data from facilities throughout the state and compiles them in our Annual Solid Waste Status Report. Recycling in Washington continues to result in significant environmental and economic gains, and we track our progress from year to year in this report.

Saving energy

In 2012, over 8 million tons of material were collected for recycling across the state. Using recycled material to make paper, plastics, glass, and metal products requires less energy than extracting, refining, transporting, and processing raw materials.

The 8 million tons of material collected saved roughly 1 billion gallons of gasoline, equal to 128 trillion BTUs (British thermal units) of energy, which is enough to power 1.1 million homes for a year (nearly half the households in Washington)!

Reducing pollution

Recycling also keeps materials out of landfills where they can contaminate groundwater and generate greenhouse gases (GHGs), reduces the amount of pollution entering the air and water, and keeps materials out of incinerators that can pollute the air and create ash residue.

The amount of material recycled in 2012 prevented 2.6 million tons of GHG emissions, similar to keeping 1.9 million cars off the road each year. It also reduced the 27 different types of air and water pollution that are produced when raw materials are used for manufacturing.

Conserving natural resources

Recycling reduces the harmful effects of mining and logging on the landscape. Supplying industry with recycled materials, instead of virgin resources from forests and mines, conserves these scarce resources.

By recycling over 1.5 million tons of scrap metal in 2012, Washington avoided mining and processing nearly 3 million tons of limestone, iron ore, and coal.

Learn more

• Focus on the Benefits of Recycling: Washington’s 2012 Recycling Produces Results (Ecology publication 11-07-007)
  
• Solid Waste in Washington, Twenty-second Annual Status Report (Ecology publication 13-07-070)
  
• Solid Waste and Recycling Data
  
  
  

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"E-waste" - What do you do with it?

By Miles Kuntz, E-Cycle Washington Program, Lacey

Since E-Cycle Washington began five years ago, over 212 million pounds of electronics - equal to the weight of 383 fully loaded 787 Dreamliner jets - were recycled. That kept nearly 14 million pounds of lead alone out of landfills! The Department of Ecology estimates that 915,000 TVs, computers and monitors were recycled in 2013 through E-Cycle Washington.

Click image to enlarge.

E-cycling not only recycles valuable materials within our electronics, but it also assures that toxic components like lead, cadmium, arsenic and brominated flame retardants are managed responsibly and kept out of the environment – and our food chain. The Department of Ecology oversees the E-Cycle Washington program to ensure hazardous components are safely managed and to maximize recycling of all materials.

What is e-waste?

E-waste (or electronic waste) is consumer electronics that no longer work or are just outdated and unwanted. It includes computers, other office equipment, TVs, mobile phones, entertainment devices and more.

But these devices are only "e-waste" if you throw them in the trash. Electronics are full of valuable materials like copper, aluminum, glass and even plastics that you can recycle.

Don't trash it; E-Cycle at a location near you!

Washington’s free, statewide E-Cycle program provides convenient collection sites for computers (including tablets), monitors, e-readers, portable DVD players and TVs. By state law, the E-Cycle program is paid for by the manufacturers of these devices.

There are 335 free E-Cycle drop-off sites spread throughout the state with at least one in every county. You can find the one nearest you by searching EcycleWashington.org or calling 1-800-RECYCLE.

Some common electronics, such as cell phones and printers, are not currently in the E-Cycle program, but a few larger electronics retailers take these and other electronics for free through their own recycling programs. Check with local retailers like Best Buy and Staples to see if you can recycle your cell phones, printers and other items with them.

If you have any questions about E-Cycle Washington, contact Miles.Kuntz@ecy.wa.gov, (360) 407-7157, or Christine.Haun@ecy.wa.gov, (360) 407-6107.

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Product stewardship is responsible 21st century "waste" management

by Kara Steward, Waste 2 Resources Program

The E-Cycle Program collects and recycles televisions, monitors, and computers.

Do you ever wonder how local governments ended up responsible for waste management? A century ago, crowding and waste in industrial cities gave rise to repeated disease epidemics. Fear of these epidemics created political support for public investment in sanitation infrastructure.

Clean water and sewerage came first, and later, at the beginning of the 20th century, collection and disposal of municipal refuse. Cities took on waste disposal responsibilities.

But at the beginning of the 20th century, municipal refuse was different than it is today. It was mostly coal ash and food scraps, with a small proportion of simple manufactured products like paper and glass. Today, 71 percent of our waste is products and packaging, some containing toxic components. Garbage has changed significantly over the last 100 years, but our waste management system has not. *

Today, local governments and ratepayers fund the collection, recycling, and disposal of increasing amounts of packaging and products. Some call this “welfare for waste.” Others view it as financially unsustainable, especially in these economic times. There are better ways to manage resources and reduce waste.

Future waste management system

Product stewardship (also called Extended Producer Responsibility or EPR) is the way of the future for our waste management system. Product stewardship is a policy that requires those who design, market and use products and packaging to share responsibility for end-of-life management of those materials.

Product stewardship programs require:

• Producers to finance the take-back and recycling of their product and encourages product redesign to minimize wastes and toxics.
• Consumers to properly use and dispose of the product.
• Governments to set standards and enforce the laws.

In other words, if you design it, produce it, sell it, or use it -- you have a role to play in the responsibility for the impact on the health and environment for the product’s full life cycle.

Washington’s product stewardship programs

Washington State has two product stewardship laws – for electronics and mercury lights. When it started in 2009, the E-Cycle Washington program was an immediate success. This summer we will reach the 100,000,000 pound milestone for computers, monitors, and televisions recycled through E-Cycle Washington.

Since 2009, E-Cycle has collected almost 100 million pounds of covered electronics.

The stewardship program for mercury-containing lights is under development, and will be in place by January of 2013. The 2011 legislative session included four product stewardship bills: carpet, medical sharps, pharmaceuticals, and adjusting and adding more products to the E-Cycle law.

Product stewardship programs positively affect local government budgets. In 2009, Snohomish County saved $550,000 in collection, hauling and processing costs for electronics. Additionally, county residents have 15 drop-off options, not just the three operated by the county.

Product stewardship leads to less waste, less toxics, provides more sustainable funding, and establishes important feedback loops. It is a key component of the state’s solid and hazardous waste plan, “Beyond Waste.”

For more information on Product Stewardship

• W2R’s Product Stewardship definitions, policy, and principles
• E-Cycle Washington
• Mercury Lights Product Stewardship
• North West Product Stewardship Council
• Product Stewardship Institute
• Product Policy Institute

* Credit for the above analysis goes to the Product Policy Institute; http://www.productpolicy.org/content/history-waste

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Air Time: King County honors state's vehicle emissions contractor

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Air Quality Program

King County recently honored the state’s contractor for vehicle emissions checks for its “green” practices, including recycling.

Ecology contracts with Applus Technologies Inc. to run the vehicle check program in Clark, King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Spokane counties. Emissions tests are required in urban areas of those counties because of the amount of air pollution caused by motor vehicles there.

Motor vehicles cause more than half of Washington’s air pollution. This pollution causes cancer, asthma and other health problems. More than 50 percent of Washington’s residents suffer from at least one medical condition that air pollution makes worse.

For the second year in a row, King County’s Solid Waste Division named Applus as a 2010 Best Workplace for Recycling and Waste Reduction.

Applus earned the recognition by taking nearly 30 actions to reduce waste and increase recycling at its King County facilities. Actions included:

• More use of electronic documents and e-mail to reduce printing.
  
• Forming recycling teams made up of employees.
  
• Providing composting, recycling and food waste bins at all Applus locations.
  
• Verifying that any new items could be recycled or were made from recycled materials.

Separately, Applus employees worked with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant more than 1,000 trees in the Plumas National Forest in northern California.

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E-Cycle Washington saves money & the environment

You know that big old TV taking up space in the garage, and that ancient computer sitting next to the desk -- those pesky relics that you just don’t know what do with them? You’re tired of tripping over them and you’d like to get rid of them, but you know you shouldn’t just throw them in the landfill. Right? So, what are you going to do?

Well, if you live in Washington, you’re in luck! Here, you can E-Cycle them! And even better, you can E-Cycle them for FREE!!! In its first year, more than 38.5 million pounds of TVs, computers, and monitors were recycled through the E-Cycle Washington program. State residents and businesses proved once again that Washington really is the ever-“green” state.

When E-Cycle Washington began on January 1, 2009, it was one of the first in the nation to collect unwanted TVs, computers and monitors for free recycling. The program is paid for by the manufacturers of these electronic products and regulated by the Department of Ecology. E-Cycle Washington has safely and responsibly recycled:
• 22.3 million pounds of televisions
• 12. 3 million pounds of monitors
• 3.9 million pounds of computers

This total of 38.5 million pounds far surpassed initial hopes and estimates of 26 million pounds. And these numbers don’t include the thousands of working units that went to reuse through sales or donations by charities such as Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and St. Vincent DePaul.

Electronic products contain heavy metals and chemicals at hazardous levels making them difficult to dispose of safely. For example, depending on its size, a TV's cathode ray tube contains an estimated four to eight pounds of lead. Recycling electronic products keeps toxic metals such as lead and mercury out of landfills and the environment.

Across the state, households, schools, small businesses and charities took advantage of this free-of-charge program. More than 230 collection sites and services in Washington were busy from the first day of operations. The heavily populated areas of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties were responsible for more than 64 percent of the total pounds collected.

And the energy savings from recycling rather than land-filling the computers alone (10 percent of the total volume) is equivalent to more than 690,000 gallons of gasoline.

It’s easy, convenient, and affordable to E-Cycle. Find a collection site near you, or call 1-800-RECYCLE.

See the news release, First year of Washington's electronics recycling program collects over 38 million pounds.

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