Friday, April 3, 2009

ON 4/25 RECYCLE YOUR E-WASTE AND HAZARDOUS WASTE

ON 4/25 RECYCLE YOUR E-WASTE AND HAZARDOUS WASTE

RIRRC holds free collection in Johnston



JOHNSTON, R.I. (April 3, 2009) – On Saturday, April 25, Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation will hold a free collection for televisions, household electronics and hazardous waste. The recycling event will be held from 8:00 a.m. - noon at the Central Landfill in Johnston. The collection is restricted to Rhode Island residents.

“If you bought a new television because yours was analog, recycle that old one on April 25,” said Mike OConnell, executive director of Rhode Island Resource Recovery. “It doesn’t matter if it’s in working condition or not, we will recycle all TVs free of cost.”

Computers, televisions and other e-waste have been banned from landfill disposal since February 1. To dispose of such products and other household hazardous waste properly it is important to recycle them and not include them in ordinary household trash.

RIRRC also accepts all types of computer products, regardless of their condition. CPUs, monitors, printers, keyboards, laptops, hard drives, scanners, modems, and mouse devices are all eligible for disposal at the collection. Appointments are not necessary to recycle e-waste.

RIRRC's Eco-Depot is Rhode Island's only option for safe household hazardous waste disposal. Products that should be recycled include oil-based paints, propane gas tanks, florescent light bulbs, and insecticides. Exposure to minute amounts of hazardous materials can be a risk to human health. Pets and wildlife are also susceptible to accidental poisonings when hazardous waste hasn’t been discarded properly.

If you are wondering whether a product is hazardous or not simply look at the labels. If they have warnings such as “flammable”, “combustible”, “explosive”, or “corrosive”, they are hazardous.

Although appointments are not necessary for recycling e-waste, they are necessary for the Eco-Depot. Call 942-1430 x241 or sign up online at www.rirrc.org and clicking on the Eco-Depot logo on the right-hand side of the page.

Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation is the quasi-state environmental agency dedicated to providing the public with environmentally sound programs and facilities to manage waste. The agency helps fund and promote the state’s recycling program, and owns and operates the Materials Recycling Facility and Central Landfill in Johnston.