As the Seattle Times so aptly put it in its editorial last Friday (1/29/10) “...a year-old recycling law has helped Washington residents get the lead, cadmium and mercury out of the basement, garage and closet. E-Cycle Washington is a huge success.”

For AtWork! the program has been phenomenally successful. We shipped our first semi trailer load full of electronics on February 10th of 2009, realizing $1,116.95 from that first load and the program has continued to grow. The community has recognized the value of keeping dangerous toxins out of our landfills as well as glad to find an inexpensive way to recycle electronics (try FREE). We shipped two trailers full that first month and have shipped as many as four in one month. Over this past year 103.5 tons of computers towers, laptops and monitors were collected and sent to recycling, bringing in $39,586.37 of needed revenue, income that is used to support AtWork!’s vital programs to support people with disabilities.

The state Department of Ecology reports more than 38.5 million pounds of electronics were recycled free of charge in 2009. That means AtWork! was responsible for 2.5% of that total. Not bad for a brand new program and proof that the idea has caught the enthusiasm of the public. We are a community that has embraced the mantra of “reduce, reuse and recycle”. The success of the E-Cycle program is one more indicator of our commitment to the environment and sustainability.

E-Cycle Washington is a program that provides responsible recycling of computers, monitors and TVs in our state. Electronics manufacturers have taken responsibility for recycling these products. For consumers electronics are recycling is provided free of charge at authorized collection points. AtWork! is Issaquah’s authorized collection station. The Recycle Center is at 970 7th NW, near the Safeway store. Electronics can be left for recycling between during center hours, 8 AM – 4 PM, Monday through Friday.

The Washington Materials Management & Financial Authority (WMMFA) is the manufacturer-funded group leading this effort. You can be assured that items taken to AtWork!’s recycle center are handled safely and responsibly according to WMMFA and State Department of Ecology standards. Many materials in these products can be re-used in new products conserving the resources and energy needed to recycle and reprocess. Some unwanted electronics sill work, and can will be made available secondhand to people and organizations who may not be able to afford to buy new equipment.