Disposal Set For Household Electronic Items

November 8, 2005
By MONICA POLANCO, Courant Staff Writer

Nick Perfito says he sees it all the time - outdated electronics placed at the curb, destined for a landfill.

"Everybody's throwing these TVs away, and that's what needs to be addressed," said Perfito, manager of the Stereo Store in Hartford. "Someone should be addressing this problem as soon as possible."

Local officials are offering a remedy.

On Saturday,residents in 70 cities and towns in Connecticut will be able to dispose of their household electronics free of cost as part of an ongoing recycling program run by the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority in Hartford. The event will be held on America Recycles Day, a national event to encourage recycling.

Residents from towns such as Hebron, Manchester, Old Lyme, Enfield, Glastonbury, Manchester, West Hartford, Ellington, Wethersfield and Hartford may drop off their electronics from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the CRRA Visitors Center and Trash Museum, 211 Murphy Road in Hartford.

Electronics can contain harmful chemicals such as mercury, lead and lithium. A contractor will recycle and dispose of the electronics, said Paul Nonnemacher, a spokesman for the CRRA, a quasi-public agency that serves municipalities.

About half the phone calls CRRA receives seek to know when the recycling program will be offered, Nonnemacher said.

"There is such a huge demand for this, and I think it's also important to point out to the credit of the people of Connecticut that they understand this stuff shouldn't go in the garbage," Nonnemacher said.

During an Oct. 1 collection, for example, a Guilford resident drove for more than an hour to drop off electronics in Torrington. Residents from 23 towns participated in the event.

The program, which serves most of the state, began in 1999 as a way to stanch the flow of electronics headed to landfills and trash-to-energy plants. CRRA estimates that the program prevented more than 2 million pounds of electronics from being dumped.

In the past, when Perfito's customers would ask for suggestions on getting rid of televisions, he would tell them they'd be lucky if they could donate them to a church.

Just on Wednesday, someone offered to pay Perfito to take an unwanted 35-inch analog television.

"It's garbage," Perfito recalled responding.

Now, he said, he'll refer them to the CRRA program.

"That's a great idea," he said.

To find out which towns are participating in the recycling event, visit http://www.crra.org/pages/press.htm or call 860-757-7700. Residential electronics include computers, batteries, cellphones and fax machines. Proof of residency will be required. Commercial electronics will not be accepted.

CRRA's trash museum in Hartford and its garbage museum in Stratford - 1410 Honeyspot Road Extension - will offer free admission from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday as part of America Recycles Day. For more information about the Hartford event, call 860-757-7765. For information about the Stratford event, call 203-381-9571