Disposing of Household Electronics - New Baltimore County Law Goes Into Effect October 23, 2009

Disposal of Most Household Electronics Banned

Residents Urged to Recycle

Baltimore County, Md. (October 19, 2009)—Beginning October 23, 2009, due to recent County legislation, it is illegal in Baltimore County for residents to dispose of most household electronics as trash.

Electronics Targeted
This new law targets:
computer equipment (CPUs, monitors, keyboards, printers, laptops, scanners, cables and cords)
televisions
VCRs
DVD players
telephones (including cell phones and answering machines)
stereos
fax machines
video display devices.

The law does not apply to household appliances (e.g., washers, dryers, refrigerators, ovens) or electronics sold to the commercial or institutional sectors.

Manufacturers Take-back Programs
Baltimore County urges residents with unwanted electronics to first contact electronics manufacturers or retailers to inquire about an electronics take-back or recycling program. Many electronics manufacturers and retailers have convenient programs for recycling electronics that are free or low-cost.

Donate
Another option for residents is to donate unwanted electronics to a charity or reuse organization. Residents are urged to contact the charity/organization first to ensure that the material they plan to donate will be accepted. For contact information regarding charities and reuse organizations that accept electronics and other items, residents may consult the Baltimore County Reuse Directory. This directory is available online through the County's web site or in hard copy by contacting the Bureau of Solid Waste Management.

Drop-off Facilities
County residents may also drop off unwanted electronics year-round at the following facilities:
Eastern Sanitary Landfill Solid Waste Management Facility, located off the 11400 block of Pulaski Highway (Monday - Saturday, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.);
Baltimore County Resource Recovery Facility, located on Drop-Off Drive, off Warren Road, between Beaver Dam Road and York Road (Monday - Saturday, 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.); and
Western Acceptance Facility, located at 3310 Transway Road, off the 4500 block of Hollins Ferry Road (Monday - Saturday, 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.).
Penalty
Residents must not place electronics out for trash or recycling collection or place electronics in the trash disposal area of a Baltimore County drop-off center. Residents doing so run the risk of a $100 civil penalty, non-collection of material, and/or future banishment from the County's trash and recycling drop-off centers.
Recycling or reusing electronics keeps potentially hazardous materials such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic out of landfills and waste to energy facilities.

More Information
For more information about electronics recycling or the County's new electronics recycling legislation, residents may visit Recycling's web site at www.baltimorecountymd.gov/recycling or call 410-887-2000.