At times, since the advent of flat screen television, the space to the north of the Keep Alliance Beautiful Recycling Center has appeared to be a junkyard of the older box-shaped TVs.
KAB accepts TVs, computer towers, laptops, cellular phones, fax machines and about any type of electronics brought to the recycling center for a low fee of $1 apiece. Recycling staff gathers these formerly valuable pieces of equipment into containers for shipping to another company for the next phase in the recycling process. Metals and other valuable components are removed to provide raw material to the manufacturing process.
According to a Digital Journal headline: Home appliance recycling market to eyewitness massive growth by 2026. The publication refers to global home appliance recycling market size, status and forecast 2019-2025. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing investment structure.
KAB does not accept large appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, and clothes washers and dryers, however, I think the community we serve could offer “massive growth” in electronics recycling by 2026. It is not so much that electronics wear out within a relatively short amount of time, rather technology advances quickly enough that people regularly seek the latest gadgets. Instead of throwing away that old flip phone bring it to us. I’ve lost count of the number of times one or two of us hefts a monster TV from a pickup bed only to hear the owner say that there is nothing wrong with it, the set “still works perfectly.” In many cases quality equipment would still offer years of service though now you couldn’t even give it away at a garage sale.
We have seen a few people balk at our fee per electronics item. At a price that is far less than a bottle of pop at the grocery store there have been individuals that decided to take their electronics back home (and presumably throw them in the dumpster). Others discard TVs and other electronics at our front door when nobody is around. They refuse to pay but still assume we will recycle what they dump. The fee covers our costs for this end of the process.
Like any material that comes through our doors, I would rather see it here than being emptied into a garbage truck heading for the Alliance landfill. Electronics can be bulky and take up a lot of room. We are glad to provide a recycling outlet for electronics and batteries to make the process convenient for area residents. We will even come retrieve that monster TV that anchored your entertainment center since the ‘80s.
Bring as many electronics as you have — big or small. This past year Alliance Public Schools showed up with a trailer full. They helped us unload everything from copiers to several wall mounted teaching boards. Obsolete elsewhere, outdated electronics are in demand at KAB. Manufacturers look for recouped materials to supplement their supply chain. Company websites describe how they are able to recycle 95-98 percent of e-waste by weight. That sounds like a great deal for a dollar.