Group items tagged

BRISTOL, Va. - There's a flip side to that newfangled cell phone found under the Christmas tree. Sooner or later, the outdated cell phones clogging the kitchen drawer have to go. However, when they do go, don't forget that those electronic beeps and whistles are powered by mercury, cadmium, lead and other toxic metals destined to seep into, and out of, a landfill. And toxic metals, such as mercury, can cause brain and kidney damage, as well as cancer, when released into the ground and air, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality reports. So, instead of dumping outdated gadgets and gizmos into the trash can, environmental and industry leaders recommend recycling, which, in the case of electronics, is known as e-cycling. For nearly six years, Bristol Virginia Public Works has picked up laptops, monitors and even fluorescent light tubes left in marked boxes by the curb. As part of a statewide e-cycling effort, the technology is carted off during regular pickups.

This NCER short report gives a good summary of collection centers specifically in West Virginia but there is also a section on the collection facilities on a national level.