The Southeastern Public Service Authority is weighing whether to establish a regional electronic recycling program as a way of keeping such items out of landfills. At a meeting, SPSA Environmental Manager Mike Kelly presented possible options for its board of directors to consider, while noting that Hampton Roads localities handle this kind of waste differently.

Norfolk collects its electronic waste, or e-waste, Kelly said, and when it gets enough, it issues an invitation for bid to have a third-party company collect it from the city. Virginia Beach’s landfill allows residents to drop off unwanted electronics for free, while in Portsmouth and Chesapeake, they rely on Goodwill and special electronic recycling collection events, Kelly said, at no cost to residents. Many, he said, are reluctant to part with electronic equipment, especially if information has been stored on them because they are worried about a third-party accessing that information.

Suffolk holds periodic recycling drives that allow residents to recycle electronics and other items, the last one being in March. However, with much of it ultimately ending up in the regional landfill, Kelly presented two models for the board to consider:

  • One in which a vendor provides boxes of pallets to put electronic waste into and then charge a pick-up fee of between $250 and $750, and
  • Another, similar option in which a company also provides pallets but does not charge a pick-up fee when it comes to collect.
To read the full story, visit https://www.suffolknewsherald.com/2022/07/28/spsa-exploring-regional-e-waste-recycling-program/.
Author: Jimmy LaRoue, Suffolk News-Herald
Image: Suffolk News-Herald

 

Sponsor