UNI Computers internal technician Trevor Rousseau, Lawrence, works to replace the keyboard of a laptop Thursday afternoon in the tech shop of the store, 1403 W. 23rd St. Kansas E Recycling is teaming up with UNI Computers to recycle old computers and repair others.
6News video: Group makes annual stop in Lawrence to recycle old electronics
Today, 'Kansas E Recycling' took anything that runs on batteries or is computer-related in an annual Earth Day recycling event. Enlarge video
Gerald Hartman is trying to keep your old computers and other electronics from getting taken out with the rest of the garbage.
Hartman, a Lawrence resident, and his organization, Kansas E Recycling, organized an Earth Day collection Thursday outside of UNI Computers, 1403 W. 23rd St. It wasn't particularly busy, but Hartman has another collection planned for Saturday in Topeka.
UNI Computers and Kansas E Recycling regularly allow consumers to drop off worn out, old computers and electronics. During the Earth Day event, however, the fees that sometimes are required were waived in order to limit the computer components going into the trash and encourage people to take the time to donate.
"We're trying to take in as many electronics and computers as we can and keep them out of the landfills," Hartman said. "It's been pretty slow."
Depending on the age and condition of the donated items, one of any number of things can happen. Particularly old or broken items, Hartman said, are broken down into constituent parts and entered back into the manufacturing process or disposed of properly. Slightly newer machines may make their way to impoverished countries, while the newest machines are donated to charities and low-income families, Hartman said.
Chad Frickey, store manager of UNI Computers, said his store regularly gets customers who are trying to find a safe way to get rid of their old items.
"It's rare if someone doesn't bring something by once a day," Frickey said.
UNI, throughout the year, accepts old electronics, virtually all of which they take for free. Disposal of CRT computer monitors, however, requires a fee because the internal parts contain lead that must be extracted and dealt with in an environmentally sensitive way.
More modern LCD monitors can be disposed of without an extra fee, Frickey said, because they do not contain lead.
Hartman said he'd have his white trailer outside at S.E. 29th and Adams streets in Topeka on Saturday.
Comments
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KsTwister (anonymous) says…
So what is the sometime fees, LJW?
Compy (anonymous) says…
KsTwister: Ha, good luck with that. If you're lucky, they'll print all the relevant information when it's no longer relevant, say, when the service is cancelled.
Journalism is hard!