Turn. Them. In!

Ever wonder what happens to an old computer or a cell phone when you throw it in the trash and it ends up in a landfill? "Ah," you say. "I know better than to do that!"

GOOD! But not everyone does know better. They don't know that by tossing their cell phone, or beeper, or computer (or the countless other electronics we take for granted--scanners, printers, DVD players, TVs, etc.), they're throwing away recoverable precious metals, plastic housings, screws and wire -- all reusable if recovered -- and, toxic chemicals. We're talking lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, zinc, bromine, chlorine, phthalates, and others, that can pollute our soil, groundwater and underground aquifers, and if released into the atmosphere pollute the air we breathe. These are really bad actors -- the kind of chemicals known to cause or suspected of causing cancer, disrupting the endocrine system, and more.

Take mercury, for example. There is no known "safe" threshold of mercury that can be released to the environment. Really. And once it's out there, it persists, works its way up the food chain back to us, and stays in us once we ingest it (those fish advisories you hear about? For mercury--and lots of other chemicals. Google it. You'll see.)

"Oh," you say. "But everybody recycles their e-waste these days." Sigh. We wish.

According to the Electronics Take Back Coalition (www.http://www.computertakeback.com/Tools/Facts_and_Figures.pdf), whose information was just updated on March 8, 2010, e-waste is still the fasting growing waste stream in the US. Their updated report says that "only 13.6% of the consumer electronic products generated into the municipal waste stream (meaning, that people tossed out) were “recovered” for recycling in 2007." That is, we (as in We, the People of the United States) created 3.01 MILLION tons of e-waste, and recycled only 410,000 tons of it.

"Well, how can I recycle my old cell phones and computers?" There are a number of ways, actually. More and more electronics manufacturers will take back your old cell phones and computers. You may have to pack them up, you may have to pay to send them...that depends on the manufacturer. You can turn them in (and your old rechargeable batteries, too) at places like Home Depot. You can donate them to charity [but do your homework...find out what happens to the units that don't work or can't be used. Do they get recycled in a state and federally approved facility? Do they get shipped overseas where they can be improperly disposed of?]

OR...on April 24th and 25th, during the Hudson Valley 40th Anniversary Earth Day Celebration, you can bring them with you to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, and for $10 per CARLOAD, you can have them recycled by Advanced Recovery, Inc., a NYS and Federally certified electronics recycler, with facilities in Port Jervis and Newark. They are approved by the NY Department of Environmental Conservation, and we've worked with them in the past. In fact, in 2009, we collected over 70 TONS of e-waste in just two weekends at the Fairgrounds (Yes, I am very proud of that fact!).

So, if you're coming to the Earth Day Celebration, or you just want to responsibly get rid of your e-waste (we urge you then to stay at the Fairgrounds and come on in to enjoy the Earth Day Celebration!), load up your car, minivan or 4x4 with as much e-waste as you can cram into it, and roll in the front gates of the Fairgrounds. Follow the signs (or look to your left for the big pile of computers and TVs being moved onto pallets) and pull out a ten spot, hand it over and pop your locks. You don't even have to get out of your vehicle: The professional recovery team from Advanced Recovery will remove all the units for you. Then you can drive on over and park your car and come to the Celebration (or--sad face!--you can just go home...).

What can you bring to turn in? Cell phones. Computers. Computer cables, peripherals, printers, scanners, fax machines, TVs, DVD and tape players, stereos -- basically, any old electronic devices. You may NOT turn in appliances that work with electricity, such as stoves and refrigerators (or anything with refrigerants in it, such as air conditioners). If you have any questions about what you can and cannot turn in, call Advanced Recovery, at 845.858-8809, and they'll answer any question you might have.

Oh! Did I mention that April 23rd, the day before the Celebration, is for small- and medium-sized businesses to turn their e-waste in? Businesses must pre-register (state requirement, people...). Dial 845.858-8809 and they'll set you up.

What better weekend to do the right thing with your old electronics? Earth Day Celebration Weekend!! Only at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. You'll feel great for doing it, and your drawers, basement, attic and garage will breathe a sigh of relief! And so will I.

Recycling during and at the Event: We'll recycle ours; you recycle yours!

I've already told you that The Hudson Valley 40th Anniversary Earth Day Celebration is going to be a Zero Landfill event. Recycling is a big part of making sure that happens. The Fairgrounds routinely recycles its single-use bottles and cans (look for the Cleartainer bins all over the venue...). We also recycle cardboard, office papers, metal, and cooking oil, as well as burned-out fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent lamps.

And, at the Earth Day Celebration, we'll also be piloting the recycling of food waste.

But what about you? Yes, you! What are YOU going to recycle at the Hudson Valley 40th Anniversary Earth Day Celebration? Well, let me tell you what you can recycle (besides bottles and cans you might bring or buy during your day[s] with us...you could come to both days, you know...)

For starters, you can bring all your electronic devices that you no longer use, and recycle them with Advanced Recovery, Inc. right out there in our main parking lot! Yup. For $10 per CARLOAD, you can get rid of it. Safely. Securely. Cheaply. And don't be shy about bringing everything you could possibly stuff into your car or minivan or 4x4. You should see what folks brought in last year when we held our two e-waste turn-in days!

Take the Earth Day Celebration Challenge: Can you help us beat last year's haul? In 2009, we collected over 70 TONS of e-waste in just two weekends. Bring us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses of electronics from your basement or garage.

Computers, monitors, keyboards, wiring, mice (mouses?), cell phones, stereos, radios, DVD and tape players, printers, scanners. You name it: If it's electronic (NOT electric, as in, NO you may not bring us your old stoves, refrigerators, microwaves, air conditioners, etc.), Advanced Recovery will take it. You won't even need to get out of your car. Just follow the signs, roll on up, hand over your ten-spot, and AR's crew of professionals will relieve you of your equipment, 99%+ of which will be refurbished and recycled at the company's NYS- and EPA-approved facilities in Port Jervis or in Newark, NJ. None of the material recycled/reclaimed is shipped out of country.

That's the electronics part of recyclorama extravaganza. You know all those old boxes of checks, business documents, term papers, personal mail that have piled up at home? Bring in up to three boxes (the size of book storage boxes...) full of those documents, and Hudson Baylor Corporation (one of our major Earth Day Celebration sponsors, btw...) will shred them in one of its secure data shredding trucks. Nobody will ever be able to see what you wrote in those old journals, love letters, checkbooks, etc. again. Oh. They'll do that for free (just so you know).

We haven't battened it all down just yet, but we're also hoping to provide you with the opportunity to turn in compact fluorescents and your old medications.

Did you know that flushing pills or liquid meds down the drain or putting them into your trash for landfilling is absolutely terrible for the environment? Google "pharmaceuticals in the environment" and you'll come up with 7,760,000 hits that will show you how there are now meds in our water supplies, lakes and streams, and what they may be doing to wildlife, you and me.

I'll let you know in a future post about whether we'll be able to offer you the option of bringing in those bulbs and meds and mercury-containing devices (such as old thermometers, thermostats etc...).

Oh. and once you've unloaded your car of all that old stuff -- er, please, not your kids ;-) , we cordially invite you to drive over to the parking area, and mosey on up to the rest of our Celebration. You'll be glad you did!