OCRRA's Community Collection Center (C3) has been an avenue for residents of Onondaga County to drop-off unwanted electronics and other materials for recycling and proper disposal since 2007.
OCRRA is dedicated to providing high quality recycling services to county residents. However, the cost burden for recycling C3 materials, particularly electronics, has solely rested on OCRRA's shoulders. In conjunction with a poor economic climate, costs to maintain a drop-off center for electronics have proven too high to be sustained. Consequently, OCRRA is closing the doors to C3 on March 13, 2010.
The cost burden of recycling electronics is not unique to Onondaga County. Many municipalities are faced with an increasing volume of computers and TVs to dispose of AND a decreasing budget. OCRRA strongly supports Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR, also referred to as Product Stewardship, encourages state legislation that will place the costs of recycling products back on the manufacturers. Twenty states in the US, including Texas and West Virginia, now have product stewardship requirements for electronics. These requirements take the burden of electronics recycling off the tax payers or local rate payers and also make recycling alternatives much more convenient for the consumer.
Materials that have been accepted for recycling at C3 are: old electronics (including TVs); books; household batteries; fluorescent light bulbs; cell phones; and smoke detectors. Since C3 opened, several other drop-off locations for computers and TVs, and other items, have opened (see below; lists are not exhaustive, for more information visit www.OCRRA.org).
Electronics, including TVs and Computers
· Best Buy www.bestbuy.com/> > stores accept TVs under 32" and monitors for $10 each. You receive a $10 Best Buy gift card for each item. Max of 2 gift cards per day. TVs over 32" are not accepted. Also accept keyboards, printers, and computer towers (hard drives must be removed).
· Newtech Recycling www.newtechrecycling.com/> > accepts electronics including TVs; some fees apply. However, Sony, LG, Goldstar, and Zenith electronics are accepted for free. Also accepts computers, keyboards, and printers at no charge. Located at: Village Office Supply, 110 Hiawatha Place off Hiawatha Blvd, 463-1112.
· Other local outlets for old computer equipment include:
o Bruin Computer Trading, 1001 Vine Street, Liverpool, 410-0050 (No TVs)
o OC Management, 4683 Burr Dr (off Vine St), Liverpool. Call 458-3242 before dropping off at this location. (No TVs)
· OCRRA will hold Electronic Collection events in 2010, including:
o Saturday, August 7, 8 am - 12 noon, Ley Creek Transfer Station
o Saturday, November 6, 8 am - 12 noon, Ley Creek Transfer Station
Books
· Donate books in good condition to local libraries or charities.
· Stay tuned: OCRRA Book Collection Event information will be announced later this year.
Household batteries
· Drop off at Wegmans. You will soon see new battery collection boxes at Onondaga County Wegmans with separate collection containers for alkalines, rechargeables, and button batteries.
· Drop off at the Rock Cut Road Transfer Station. Please separate rechargeable batteries from alkalines and button types.
· July Curbside Collection for Alkaline batteries ONLY. Only alkalines will go in special yellow bags for the July curbside collection. No rechargeable or button types can be accepted as a result of new federal regulations. To request the yellow battery bags for alkaline batteries, please send email to: info@OCRRA.org <<mailto:info@OCRRA.org>> .
Fluorescent light bulbs
· OCRRA partners with 15 Ace and True Value hardware stores www.ocrra.org/programs_fluorescent.asp> > throughout the county that accept fluorescent light bulbs for recycling.
· Bring compact fluorescent bulbs to a participating Home Depot store.
· Bring bulbs to any of OCRRA's Household Hazardous Waste Days www.ocrra.org/programs_hazardous.asp> >
Cell Phones
· Several donation sites www.ocrra.org/how-dispose.asp?search=cell%20phones&imageField.x=14&imageField.y=7> > throughout Onondaga County.
Smoke Detectors
· Bring them to any of OCRRA's Household Hazardous Waste Days www.ocrra.org/programs_hazardous.asp> > .
OCRRA would like to say Thank You to the residents of Onondaga County for their enthusiastic recycling efforts at C3. While open, OCRRA collected over 1.7 million pounds of electronics and over 700,000 pounds of books for recycling!
