New Electronics Ban Goes Into Effect Jan. 1, 2010

Oregon E-Cycles, Oregon’s free electronics recycling program, will become even more popular when the state’s disposal ban on computers, monitors and televisions goes into effect on January 1, 2010. After that date, Oregonians must recycle these electronics – they will no longer be allowed to be disposed of in the garbage or at disposal sites such as landfills, transfer stations and incinerators.

“After the ban, throwing away these items will be illegal,” says Kathy Kiwala, Oregon E-Cycles Project Lead. “Anyone knowingly violating the ban may face penalties up to $500 per item. With Oregon’s convenient recycling system for electronic waste, it should be easy to keep it out of the trash.”

The purpose of the ban isn’t to make it difficult to clean out your stash of electronics, but to require reuse or recycling instead. Reuse and recycling save energy, conserve resources, support local recyclers, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts. In addition, requiring manufacturers to take responsibility for end-of-life management of their products encourages them to design products with less waste and fewer toxics. Cathode ray tubes found in televisions and computer monitors typically contain about four pounds of lead, while printed circuit boards and batteries in computers contain toxic heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury.

“Ultimately, the goal is to reduce environmental impacts over the life of these electronics and ensure they are safely managed when discarded,” Kiwala says.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!

If your garbage or recycling is picked up at the curb:
Do not place computers, monitors and TVs in your trash, recycling bin or at the curb. These items require special handling and cannot be collected via your regular curbside service.

If you haul your own trash:
Disposal sites cannot accept computers, monitors and TVs for disposal. All local transfer stations except Roseburg and Slide Creek will accept TV’s, computers, and monitors through our partnership with Sunrise Enterprises.

In Roseburg and surrounding areas, you should take ALL your electronic waste to Next Generation Recycling located in the South Gate Shopping Center right behind "Young’s Garden, Gift, and Pond" on SE Stephens Street. At this location you can recycle almost anything that plugs in or takes batteries. For more information contact Next Generation Recycling at 541-229-9889.

Oregon E-Cycles Provides Free Recycling Options in Oregon
The good news is that even now before the ban takes effect, Oregonians have free recycling options near them. The same law that created the ban also created Oregon E-Cycles, a network of collection sites and services that offer free recycling throughout Oregon. Anyone can take up to seven computers, monitors and TVs at a time to participating collection sites and events. Electronics manufacturers finance Oregon E-Cycles and jointly implement the program with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

What’s more, Oregon E-Cycles ensures proper handling and management of the materials collected. All participating recyclers are required by DEQ to follow certain environmentally sound management practices, including tracking and documenting recycling locations and how the materials were handled until they are reused or processed into commodities such as glass, steel and plastics. This level of due-diligence provides assurance to Oregonians that their discarded electronics are safely reused or recycled and that toxic materials do not harm people or the environment here or abroad.

To find an Oregon E-Cycles location near you, visit www.oregonecycles.org or call 1-800-5-ECYCLE (1-800-532-9253).

If you are a business or nonprofit with more than 10 employees, you may still take your computers, monitors and TVs to an Oregon E-Cycles collection site for recycling, but you may be charged for items over the seven item limit.

Remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!”

Liquid Waste

There are many things that are forbidden from entering the landfill. Tires, appliances, lead acid batteries, asbestos, mattresses, and box springs are some. But the item that generates the most questions every week is liquids. Douglas County residents want to know what to do with their liquid wastes.

What constitutes a liquid? Well, by statute, a liquid is any material that will pass through a paint filter. So that means paint, oil, pesticides, herbicides, antifreeze, blood, or anything else that is fluid in nature. The reason this material is forbidden from the landfill is not its toxicity, but rather its fluid state.

All material that enters Douglas County's solid waste system must be managed at various levels. There is you the generator, the hauler of the waste, and the County who manages the transfer stations and the landfill itself. At each of these stages, fluids and liquids can escape. When this happens any number of situations can present themselves from the benign to full on ecologic disasters.

You as the generator of the waste are solely responsible for the material until it enters the landfill. Then the responsibility is ours collectively. So it is best to manage the waste appropriately and safely.

Here in Douglas County, we do not have a collection system for most liquid wastes. We have had, on occasion, the opportunity to host local collection events for hazardous waste, but the last one came in 2005. That particular funding stream has gone dry. We do however have some opportunities and tips.

MOTOR OIL: This can be taken to any of our local transfer stations and recycled for free. Residents are limited to 5 gallons per day. Please make sure you drain your filters as best as you can and dispose of them and the oil containers in the trash.

COOKING OIL: This can be taken to any Eugene Chemical (EC) black container located around the county. They can be found near and by restaurants. There is a very public container located in the parking lot across the street from the Roseburg Post Office downtown.

PAINT: Find someone who wants to use it as it was intended. Otherwise, open it up, let it harden and dispose of it in the trash. To expedite the process stir in kitty litter.

HERBICIDE/PESTICIDE/CLEANERS/CHEMICALS/FUELS: Use it up as intended and labeled or find someone to do the same. Or you may contact Lane County Solid Waste to make an appointment for disposal in Lane County at their Household Hazardous Waste facility. This is free of charge with certain limitations. You may contact them at (541) 682-3111.

Remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle to "Trash Douglas County Less!" For more information you may contact me at 440-4350.

No Can Stands Alone

Throughout history there have been war cries and mantras that have stood the test of time; “Give me liberty of give me death”, “Only you can prevent forest fires”, and “Just do it” are some of my favorites. Whether they are inspirational, motivational, humorous, or even silly, these credos and sayings stick with us and remind us of something important.

“No can stands alone” is a new mantra that I share with my friends and colleagues. It sounds important. It echoes of independence. It suggests…recycling?

Yes, indeed recycling. “No can stands alone” reminds us that no garbage can should be without its trusty counterpart, the recycle bin.

When a garbage can stands all alone by itself, it still serves its purpose. We will still fill it with waste, rubbish, trash, garbage, and even everything recyclable or compostable because there in not an alternative readily available. But when you place a friendly little recycle buddy next to the garbage can something special happens…synergy.

Synergy is defined as “The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects”. Together the two containers serve one greater function, waste reduction.

Waste reduction is an important element in combating environmental concerns such as litter, climate change, conservation, landfill capacity, air and water pollution. By reducing waste we clean up our surroundings and save ourselves and our County money in the process.

A good example for this notion of “No can stands alone” can be found every summer at the annual Music on the Halfshell concert series. Partnering with Douglas County Public Works who offers assistance by providing containers and technical assistance, the Half Shell Committee allows volunteers to manage recycling at the event using this “No can stands alone” concept. By doing so, several tons of material is diverted from the landfill, the City of Roseburg saves staff time by having less waste to haul, there is less litter, and all parties involved, including concert goers, are allowed the opportunity to recycle.

It has been observed that those garbage cans left without a recycling container adjacent to it during the concert, have been found filled with recyclables. Whereas those garbage cans paired with the appropriate recycling container are nearly void of recyclables.

An interesting observation on how to maximize this system of managing waste is that the two cans must be directly adjacent to one another to fully maximize the process. As little as two feet of separation has shown to be a significant barrier to recycling. This system can be employed in public settings as described, but also at home, school, and the workplace.

So remember, a recycle bin by itself can become a garbage can. A garbage can by itself will never recycle. So combine the two for a synergistic approach to waste reduction, conservation, and saving money.

For more information visit us online at http://www.recyclepower.org/ and don’t forget to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!”

Photo Credit: City of Chicago, Parks Department

Pay it forward

Several years ago, Douglas County Human Resources developed an award to recognized County staff for going “above and beyond” the call of duty. It was entitled the “Pay It Forward Award”. This award is given out periodically in the spirit of recognizing the efforts and contributions of fellow employees. Many times folks, who by the nature of their job receive very few accolades, receive the award. In so doing, this award is intended to build the spirit of entire departments within the County.

The staff members recognized by this award are not selected by supervisors or department heads, but rather by the most recent recipient of the award. The award is a trophy that circulates with the recipient. I personally like this because it is a great example of reuse! In addition, a certificate is presented to the recipient to keep and display. Two awards circulate throughout the County at any given time.

I was shocked to have been presented this award in July by Karen Vian of the County Health Department. This was quite an honor. But the real honor came when it was my turn to select and present the award to the next person. It took me all of 10 seconds to pick.

In my travels around the County on official business, I meet hundreds of my fellow County co-workers; all of them stellar, exceptional workers and people. But one specific staff member rose to the top for me.

At the County Fairgrounds there is a staff of hard working, dedicated, and inspirational persons working every day to meet the needs of vendors, customers, patrons, co-workers, animals, board members, and citizens alike. They are constantly working on equipment, paperwork, facilities, landscaping, and more to make every event a success for the organizers. As an organizer myself using the fairgrounds, I have found them to be totally dependable, reliable, and efficient.

With every trip to the Douglas County Fairgrounds I was greeting by one smiling face in particular. This gentleman would always greet me and make sure I had everything I needed for a successful event or program. His enthusiasm is contagious. Whenever I needed something, I knew who to count on. I have always had a friend in him. He has especially helped me promote waste reduction and recycling at events and works well with my volunteers.

Ron Pope has worked at the Douglas County Fairgrounds for many years and is the recipient of the most recent “Pay It Forward Award”. It is now his duty to pick the next recipient. Good Luck Ron!

Remember, to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less”

Photo Credit Don Cherry, Douglas County Human Resources Dept.