SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon's electronics recycling program has collected nearly 19 million pounds of TVs, computers and monitors in its first full year.
Recycling the products keeps toxic metals such as lead and mercury out of landfills and the environment.
Kathy Kiwala of the Oregon E-Cycles Program says that considering the rate at which people purchase new electronics, "it's not surprising there's a glut of e-waste just waiting to be recycled."
The state program is paid for by the products' manufacturers and administered by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Free recycling of the items is provided for the public at more than 200 collection and recycling facilities statewide.
Washington's similar program collected more than 38 million pounds of unwanted electronics in its first full year of operation.
