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| Free electronic dumping Saturday |
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| Written by John Saiz / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Wednesday, 30 April 2008 | |
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At a glance
Accepted:Televisions, monitors, computers, computer components or peripherals, power supplies, printers, power cables, coaxial cables, audio and video equipment, stereo equipment, speakers, VCR and DVD players, video and digital cameras, cell phones, cell phone batteries, telephones, telephone systems, fax machines, copy machines, scanners, wireless devices, video game systems, MP3 players, portable cassette players, projectors, toner cartridges and pagers. Not Accepted: Car batteries, microwaves, appliances and furniture. West Siders with an unwanted computer, television or a slew of other electronics will be able to dispose of them free of charge at the Patterson Aquatic Center, 1025 W. Las Palmas Ave., on Saturday. The free drop-off — which is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. — is made possible by a state fee on purchased electronics to give people a convenient option for throwing away the often-hazardous waste. “We’ve been wanting to do something like this for a while,” said Patterson’s Public Works Management Analyst Monica Sandoval. The idea is if people have alternatives for getting rid of their used electronics, the harmful chemicals within the devices will be disposed of properly. “People are just taking their TVs out and dumping them on the road,” said Paul Owens, co-owner of Tri-Valley Recycling. “(Projection TVs) actually have arsenic in them. They’re very toxic.” Tri-Valley Recycling will accept the unwanted gadgets and gizmos. Owens and his wife, Sharon, own and operate the Stockton-based business. They’ll be sending what they collect to a recycler in San Jose and will be reimbursed by the state. The market for recycled electronics has been profitable, he said, in no small part because of the disposal fee. Last year, he collected about 2 million pounds of monitors and televisions alone, he said. They picked up another 3 million pounds in other assorted items. In addition to being a for-profit business, Tri-Valley usually gives some of the money it collects to charity. “We do it mostly for nonprofits — people trying to raise money for a camping trip or something like that,” Owens said. He said he is looking for a Patterson-area nonprofit to receive a donation this year, but hasn’t rustled one up yet, as this is his company’s first foray into the area. He welcomed local nonprofits to contact his business, 463-7600, if they are interested. The city of Patterson has also lent some support to the collection, though Sandoval said it was a minimal-effort affair. The city put a little money into advertising and will have one employee working the drop-off. Saturday is not locals’ last opportunity to get rid of outdated or broken electronics. Sandoval said the city hopes to host more events, and Owens said Tri-Valley is willing to do pick-ups. “We do that free of charge,” Owens said. In fact, he initially wanted to do a door-to-door collection when he contacted Patterson in March. But given the short turnaround time, Sandoval said the city felt a drop-off would be more feasible. Owens got into the recycling business three years ago after a career in construction and pest control. Owens, 61, said a combination of boredom, a good business opportunity and a chance to help the environment stirred him and his wife out of retirement. “My wife and I were retired, and we got tired of sitting around,” Owens said. “My son talked to another recycler who told him it’s a good business. Now we got 11 employees and four trucks.” To reach John Saiz at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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