Nebraska Computer Recycling Program a Success

The third in a series of computer and electronics collections across Nebraska brought the total of computer and electronic equipment collected to 23,277 pounds.

The collections were funded by a Waste Reduction and Recycling grant through the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. Collections were planned and hosted by the Nebraska State Recycling Association, WasteCap of Lincoln, Keep Nebraska Beautiful and local KNB affiliate organizations.

The three collections took place in October and November in North Platte, Norfolk and Scottsbluff.

Participants were allowed to bring three monitors at no charge with a $5 fee imposed for each monitor after three. Peripheral equipment was collected at no charge. The actual costs for refurbishing the equipment are over $14,000. Those costs are covered with the NDEQ grant funding. The majority of the costs are incurred with transportation, labor and the proper disposal of hazardous materials (namely lead) contained in the equipment.

The equipment was collected by Environmental Compliance Enterprises in Lincoln. All of the equipment will be sent to a refurbisher that will test, refurbish, redistribute or recycle up to 97% of the components. Currently, businesses are restricted from disposing cathode ray tubes (CRTs), the picture tube of color monitors and televisions in local landfills because of the high content of lead found in the equipment.

The grant project is intended to educate local community organizers on how to host a local computer collection.

For more information on computer collections and computer recycling contact Steve Andrews with NSRA at (402) 444-4188 or Carrie Hakenkamp with WasteCap of Lincoln at (402) 472-0888.