 Collection
and Recycling of Electronics
There are options for recycling waste electronics in Minnesota. Data
from the state's annual SCORE
survey show that 3,906 tons were collected for recycling in 2002.
Recycling firms
Many companies in the state recycle electronic devices, serving both
the commercial sector and households. Fees for recycling vary widely,
especially electronics with CRTs.
OEA has a list
of local recyclers serving the consumer market in the state, and is
working to expand the resource to commercial accounts.
Many electronics
manufacturers offer brand-specific recycling programs for collecting
waste electronics. Prices and terms vary significantly, but these programs
generally involve shipping, at consumer expense, to a national collection
point..
Collection events
Local collection events are becoming more common. They are typically
held for a limited time, and may be restricted to local residents or certain
brands of electronics. There may be a fee, but free recycling may be offered
for certain brands or types of equipment (TVs and computer monitors are
generally recycled for a fee.)
Public collections are often coordinated as special
events by county household hazardous waste programs, or combined with
municipal "clean-up days" for a variety of wastes.
Public collection programs. Hennepin County accepts
consumer electronics from county residents at no charge. In 2003, the
county received 1,486 tons of electronics. This 2.6 pounds per capita
is a 13% increase from 2002.
Retail collections, such as those run locally by Best
Buy, have been an effective tool for getting waste electronics collected
from consumers. Fees were charged for recycling electronics with CRTs
(televisions and computer monitors), but other items were accepted at
no cost.
- 2004: Three separate Best Buy locations ran 2-day collection events,
collecting 291,795 pounds of electronics.
- July 2003: Best Buy held two-day collections at two stores. The Richfield
location brought in 83,167 pounds of electronics, while the store in
Woodbury took in 55,915 pounds.
- July 2002: A two-day event at the Best Buy store in Coon Rapids collected
53,656 pounds of consumer electronics.
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