E-CYCLING
Released December 10, 2010
Wisconsin’s electronics recycling law bans the landfilling and incineration of several types of electronics as of September 1, 2010. Theses bans apply no matter where the devices are from or who used them. This means you can no longer put these items out with your regular garbage and recycling pick-up. Wisconsin households and K-12 public schools can recycle banned devices (except cell phones) through E-Cycle Wisconsin. More information can be found at: dnr.wi.gov/ecyclewisconsin.
WHICH ELECTRONICS ARE BANNED FROM WISCONSIN LANDFILLS?
- Desktop computers
- Desktop printers, including printers combined with fax machines, scanners and copiers
- Video display devices of at least 7” in the longest diagonal dimension. These include TVs, laptops and computer monitors.
- Computer peripherals including keyboards, mice hard drives, scanners, speakers, flash drives, external modems and other devices.
- Fax machines
- DVD players, VCRs, DVRs and other video players
- Cell phones
Please refer to Wisconsin State Statute 287.07(5)(a) for a complete list of electronics regulated by this law.
WHERE CAN I RECYCLE ELECTRONICS?
The following is a list of the registered collection sites in our area as of November 1, 2010.
Registered collectors need to reapply periodically. Some may charge a small fee for recycling electronics and may not accept all devices. Contact the collector before taking electronics to the site.
- Best Buy – 758-2156 – 2850 Deerfield Dr., Janesville
- Goodwill Retail Services – 758-8794 – 2003 Holiday Dr., Janesville
- Milwaukee PC – 743-1267 – 2811 Milton Ave., Janesville
- Staples Inc. – 756-5096 – 2900 Deerfield Dr., Janesville
- Universal Recycling Technologies – 754-3400 - 2535 Beloit Ave., Janesville
- WMRA Janesville – 888-960-0008 – 340 Blackbridge Rd, Janesville
WHERE CAN I RECYCLE CELL PHONES?
- Cell phones with or without chargers can be dropped off at the Milton Police
- Department to be donated to Special Olympics.
- Check with your service provider to see if they provide recycling services.
- Check online at call2recycle.org for cell phone and battery recycling information and locations.
WHY E-CYCLE?
Electronics that are landfilled, incinerated or illegally dumped can release toxic materials like mercury, lead and cadmium into the air, water and soil. Recycling ensure that these materials are reused safely or disposed of properly. Many electronics contain valuable, reusable materials like gold, steel, silver, copper and glass. Recycling old devices reduces the need for new materials and cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing.
WHAT ABOUT DATA SECURITY?
Before recycling your computer, it is important that you remove all personal or confidential information. Many retailers offer this service for a small fee, or you can do it yourself. Before choosing a collector or recycler, ask then how they handle data security. Some collectors may not accept hard drives.