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By Bob Downing
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 06:16 p.m. EDT, Mar 10, 2009
The cost of recycling old televisions in Summit County is going up, but the boost may not be enough to keep the program running.
After extensive discussion, the governing board of the Summit-Akron Solid Waste Management Authority today agreed to boost the fees paid by Summit County residents to recycle old televisions at the Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Center in Stow.
For televisions that are 36 inches and smaller, the price jumped from $5 to $15; for televisions that are 36 inches and larger, the price increased from $10 to $20.
The new prices will go into effect April 1 when the center reopens for the season.
The old prices were $5 for smaller televisions that make up 92 percent of the drop offs and $10 for larger televisions.
But e-Waste LLC, the Hudson-based company that recycles the old televisions, says that new fees may not be enough and that it may be forced to drop the television recycling that it is under contract to provide in 2009.
''We'll give you a response'' soon, company spokesman Jim Cleveland said after higher fees were approved.
Recycling the typical television costs the firm $24 and the firm could not do the recycling if it only got $10 per television, he said during the discussion.
Without higher fees, his firm ''couldn't do it and it would put us under,'' Cleveland said.
He said his company would try to recycle televisions in 2009, but ''we might have to stop.''
In the past, the company could recoup some of its costs from the resale of commodities from the televisions, but those markets have disappeared in the global economic crunch, he said.
The company last year recycled 1,200 televisions from the Stow center and officials were expecting that to grow to 2,400 televisions this year.
For people dropping off televisions at its plant, e-Waste charges $25 for small televisions and $40 for larger ones, Cleveland said.
The company was paid $32,000 to handle televisions and computers in 2008 and is under contract to provide similar services in 2009 for a maximum of $32,000.
Last year, the fee on televisions produced $7,000 and the authority paid the remaining $25,000 to fund the electronics recycling program.
The higher fees will not affect computer waste collected at the Stow center and processed by e-Waste — only the televisions.
Cleveland, whose company has recently reorganized and moved from Boston Heights to Hudson, said he anticipates recycling markets for computer components to improve in the coming months.
Authority board members said they feared that the higher fees will result in more televisions ending up in the trash and going into landfills instead of being recycled.
Electronics waste ideally should not go into landfills because of the threat of toxic heavy metals leaching out and contaminating groundwater.
There are only a handful of companies in Northeast Ohio that will recycle televisions from the public, so easy and convenient recycling options are limited.
Board member Kim Stanley suggested that the fee for recycling televisions be raised to $24.
A second proposal would have raised the television fees by $5 — with the company getting that extra money plus the 16 cents a pound it gets paid under the contract. The average television set weighs about 57 pounds.
Neither proposal was approved.
The authority's governing board took no action on modifying the existing contract with e-Waste but agreed to work out the needed details.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
The cost of recycling old televisions in Summit County is going up, but the boost may not be enough to keep the program running.
After extensive discussion, the governing board of the Summit-Akron Solid Waste Management Authority today agreed to boost the fees paid by Summit County residents to recycle old televisions at the Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Center in Stow.
For televisions that are 36 inches and smaller, the price jumped from $5 to $15; for televisions that are 36 inches and larger, the price increased from $10 to $20.
The new prices will go into effect April 1 when the center reopens for the season.
The old prices were $5 for smaller televisions that make up 92 percent of the drop offs and $10 for larger televisions.
But e-Waste LLC, the Hudson-based company that recycles the old televisions, says that new fees may not be enough and that it may be forced to drop the television recycling that it is under contract to provide in 2009.
''We'll give you a response'' soon, company spokesman Jim Cleveland said after higher fees were approved.
Recycling the typical television costs the firm $24 and the firm could not do the recycling if it only got $10 per television, he said during the discussion.
Without higher fees, his firm ''couldn't do it and it would put us under,'' Cleveland said.
He said his company would try to recycle televisions in 2009, but ''we might have to stop.''
In the past, the company could recoup some of its costs from the resale of commodities from the televisions, but those markets have disappeared in the global economic crunch, he said.
The company last year recycled 1,200 televisions from the Stow center and officials were expecting that to grow to 2,400 televisions this year.
For people dropping off televisions at its plant, e-Waste charges $25 for small televisions and $40 for larger ones, Cleveland said.
The company was paid $32,000 to handle televisions and computers in 2008 and is under contract to provide similar services in 2009 for a maximum of $32,000.
Last year, the fee on televisions produced $7,000 and the authority paid the remaining $25,000 to fund the electronics recycling program.
The higher fees will not affect computer waste collected at the Stow center and processed by e-Waste — only the televisions.
Cleveland, whose company has recently reorganized and moved from Boston Heights to Hudson, said he anticipates recycling markets for computer components to improve in the coming months.
Authority board members said they feared that the higher fees will result in more televisions ending up in the trash and going into landfills instead of being recycled.
Electronics waste ideally should not go into landfills because of the threat of toxic heavy metals leaching out and contaminating groundwater.
There are only a handful of companies in Northeast Ohio that will recycle televisions from the public, so easy and convenient recycling options are limited.
Board member Kim Stanley suggested that the fee for recycling televisions be raised to $24.
A second proposal would have raised the television fees by $5 — with the company getting that extra money plus the 16 cents a pound it gets paid under the contract. The average television set weighs about 57 pounds.
Neither proposal was approved.
The authority's governing board took no action on modifying the existing contract with e-Waste but agreed to work out the needed details.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Akron, Oh
Posted 07:09 PM, 03/10/2009
HMMM...arent we going to see more TVs being recycled due to the digital change? Not everyone is going to get a converter and will end up getting a new TV.
Kent, Oh
Posted 07:24 PM, 03/10/2009
No, but with the fee increase, we will see more TV's alongside the road. Not a smart move, Akron.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:06 PM, 03/10/2009
@Insured...
This is the "Summit-Akron Solid Waste Management Authority", not the city of Akron.
In fact, any Akron resident would be crazy to spend a dime with the SASWMA, much less the $15 or $20 they want to recycle a television.
Akron residents are allowed to put their televisions with 19" or larger screens on the curb as part of their weekly trash pickup, for NO additional charge.
For those who might not believe me, just read the city's website linked below.
http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/pubwks02.html
The television information is included in the 4th paragraph of that addresses bulk items.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:17 PM, 03/10/2009
Hmm...
The portion of the story that reported "Board member Kim Stanley suggested that the fee for recycling televisions be raised to $24." made me wonder, exactly who are the members of the SASWMA Board.
A check of the website shows that members include Summit County Executive Russ Pry (Chairman) as well as Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic (Trustee). I wonder if either of these individuals were present for today's meeting.
By the way, Kim Edward Stanley holds one of two "Citizen at Large" positions on the board and according to SASWMA's website, is employed by KS Realty.
Hey Kim... making a proposal to raise the recycling fees paid by your fellow "citizens" by 140% and 280% isn't doing a very good job of watching out for the common folks out here.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:25 AM, 03/11/2009
Actually, the new trash carts in Akron make it really easy to dispose of old TVs.....
...it's a shame it's so expensive to be environmentally friendly--- can't wait for the conversation over carbon taxes.
Akron, OH
Posted 11:27 AM, 03/11/2009
Right now your best bet for TVs under 32" is to take it to Best Buy: pay the $10 fee and you get a $10 gift card...
Posted 03:36 PM, 03/11/2009
I just throw mine in the trash and if they are gonna charge extra, I dump it along the road somewhere and let someone else worry about it.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:01 PM, 03/11/2009
That's where my old TV is going----out to the Akron curbside.
As for Ms. Stanley, since she is obviously not representing the interests of the average consumer, is there a way to get her re-called?
