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Luzerne County Suspends Electronics Recycling Program

WILKES-BARRE — People in Luzerne County need to find other places to toss out their electronics this year. Luzerne County is the latest county to put its ...

WILKES-BARRE -- People in Luzerne County need to find other places to toss out their electronics this year.

Luzerne County is the latest county to put its electronic recycling program on the back burner.

"A lot of the county programs are getting shut down. It's not the fault of the counties that the programs are being shut down. There are rules and there are regulations," said Luzerne County recycling coordinator Beth Denardi.

Officials say the county can't offer the free two-day service anymore because of changes in the recycling market.

"It comes down to weights. They are reaching their weights. A television from 15 years ago weighs more, and unfortunately once they reach their weights, they don't need to collect anymore and they won't," Denardi explained.

A DEP spokesperson tells us the reason counties are suspending the program is because of cost and a law that went into effect in 2010, The Covered Devices Recycling Act, which governs electronic recycling.

"It's not cost-effective to stay in the business when you could be losing money or making no money at all, so it really boils down to money, cost, and whether or not the counties can afford it," said DEP official Colleen Connolly.

Some people we spoke with tell us they were upset when they found out about the electronics recycling suspension because now not only do they have to find a place to put the electronic items, but they also have to worry about how much it's going to cost them.

Residents have a few options. They can either call the manufacturer of the electronic device and see if they can toss it, or they can look for a private recycling vendor.

"No one wants it. They are all heavy and they are all toxic so what are we supposed to do?" asked Mary Gruzenski of Laflin.

"I think it's an awful idea," added Joann Benton of Exeter. "It's only going to put more waste on the sides of the roads because people have no place to get rid of it."

Luzerne County officials plan to meet with the DEP to discuss other options.

Until then, they advise residents to visit the county website for a list of recycling vendors.

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