Pittsburgh, PA Residents to be Able to Recycle TVs, E-Waste, Household Chemicals- for a Fee

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Beginning in January, city residents, residents will be able to drop-off old TVs, computer monitors and leftover paint and chemicals at designated recycling sites; for a higher fee, they can put them on the curbside for pick-up. “We have heard from our residents that they have a lot of struggles trying to be responsible and recycling materials [that are] no longer picked up,” said councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, who, in conjunction with the mayor’s office, co-sponsored an e-waste bill that passed 8-0 Thursday.

Residents can take their items to the city’s Bureau of Environmental Services at 3001 Railroad St. in the Strip District, where they can pay with cash or a check. TVs and computers will cost $0.40 per pound — so a 50-pound TV will be about $20 to recycle. Residents can schedule home pick-up for a $50 fee on top of the cost per pound of the material. “Even though there’s a fee for it currently, we thought we would take this year to determine the need,” Mrs. Kail-Smith said.

If the city sees a significant need, they’ll seek future grant funding to offset that cost. “We didn’t necessarily want to put in additional public dollars [before that],” she said.

Mrs. Kail-Smith said she hopes the bill eliminates illegal dumping. E-waste, which often contain toxic heavy metals, has been banned from Pennsylvania landfills since 2010. You can drive up and down the streets and see TVs and computer screens,” she said.

The legislation enters the city into a $250,000 contract with the Evans City, Pa.-based Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling. Sean Spang, president of the company, called the contract a “progressive step forward” for the city. “It’s environmentally beneficial for the residents involved. It’s important to make sure we’re eliminating these toxic waste streams from our landfills,” he said.

Courtesy: https://wasteadvantage.com