Charleston, South Carolina, eliminates curbside electronics collection

The city of Charleston, South Carolina, will no longer include electronics as part of its curbside recycling program, a report by the Post and Courier says. Televisions, printers and computers will no longer be accepted starting April 1, 2017.

The city has been sending electronics collected at the curb to a private contractor since state legislation passed in 2010 to keep electronics out of landfills. According to the report, the cost of using the contractor has doubled in the last five years, causing the city to look at other options for diversion.

Charleston is expected to save $150,000 to $200,000 annually because of the change, the report says. City counselors told residents that drop-off locations at the Romney Street Convenience Center, Bees Ferry Convenience Center and Signal Point Conveinence Center accept electronics.

Goodwill nonprofit centers also accept electronics and wipe disposed computers’ hard drives of data before they are disposed, the report says.

According to the report, the city collects 15,000 to 20,000 pounds of electronic scrap per month, including old laptops, televisions and printers. Materials that are not accepted for recycling include smaller devices, such as cellphones, video game consoles and cameras.