MEDIA RELEASE

The county Department of Environmental Management Solid Waste Division will resume its E-Waste Recycling Program beginning Friday, March 5, to collect and recycle electronic waste in a safe and environmentally responsible method.

Residents may take their e-waste to the Bay Side Computer Shop in Hilo or the Compucycle Kona drop-off site for proper disposal.

The program was temporarily suspended recently after a contract with a vendor to send the materials to the mainland expired and recycled e-waste was piling up in storerooms on the island.

The county advises residents, businesses, government agencies and non-profits to manage their electronic waste responsibly by using a reputable e-waste recycling company.

Disposing e-waste illegally can cause health and safety hazards. Also, abandonment of e-waste at a collection site during non-operating hours is considered illegal dumping.

The County-sponsored E-Waste Recycling Program will end April 30, 2010, and the Department of Environmental Management intends on implementing an annual E-Waste Recycling Collection Event in East and West Hawaii with specific dates to be announced.

On Jan. 1, the state Department of Health implemented the Hawaii Electronic Device Recycling Program (HEDRP), which requires that manufacturers of Covered Electronic Devices (CEDs) establish take-back recycling programs for registered CEDs, including computers and portable computers, printers, monitors and televisions.

Retailers of CEDs will be required to make information available to consumers about recycling services offered by CED manufacturers. Non-compliant electronic devices will be prohibited from sales in Hawaii.

Consumers will have options to recycle their CEDs either through drop-off collection sites or through mail-back plans depending on the manufacturer. Mail-back plans may involve a small fee for the service.

Computers and portable computers, printers and computer monitors have been eligible for take-back recycling since Jan. 1. Televisions will be eligible for take-back recycling beginning Jan. 1, 2011, or earlier, depending on the manufacturers.

For more information on the state Electronic Device Recycling Program, contact:

State of Hawaii Department of Health
Solid & Hazardous Waste Branch
919 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 212
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814

Phone: 974-4000 extension 64226# (toll free from the Big Island)

Web site: http://hawaii.gov/ewaste

The county’s E-Waste Recycling Program and additional solid waste management information is available on the department’s Web site at www.HawaiiZeroWaste.org

For further information, contact the County Recycling Section, Chris Chin-Chance at 961-8554, recycle3@co.hawaii.hi.us, or Linda Peters at 961-8942, lpeters@co.hawaii.hi.us.