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Oregon Institutes Landfill Ban in 2010

All through the days leading up to Christmas, we have been making suggestions on gadgets that will make great gifts, and there is hardly any doubt that some of us either gave electronics as gifts, or received them in return. At any rate, there will be old gadgets that will have found themselves outshined by newer and techier stuff over the holidays.

recycle TV For the state of Oregon, residents will have to be careful and think about how these gadgets will be disposed of. Starting January 1st, the state is implementing a strict landfill ban on electronic gadgets. The following announcement is on the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) website: “Effective January 1, 2010 computers, monitors and TVs CANNOT be disposed of in the garbage or at disposal sites such as landfills, transfer stations and incinerators. Anyone who knowingly disposes of these items can be fined.”

The DEQ stresses, however, that the move is not about making disposal of electronics difficult, but about encouraging people to reuse or recycle – not exactly a bad objective in as far as the environment is concerned. After all, recycling should be the standard waste management practice, and the New Year is a good time as any to turn a new leaf.

The Oregon DEQ tells residents to refrain from placing computers, monitors and TV sets in the trash or recycling bin, or simply placing these items in the curb for pick up. Neither are these going to be accepted at ordinary disposal sites; they will only be accepted at recycling depots, so residents are urged to check with waste disposal facilities first. The DEQ provided a partial list of recyclers that offer recycling of electronics, although the department clarifies that they are in no way endorsing specific companies.

The ban does not include printers, fax machines or cellphones, according to a report on the local ABC news site KOHD.com. Fines for violating the ban can run as high as five hundred dollars.

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