OC Inner City Outings leads cell phone recycling drive

Imagine all that extra space if you cleaned out those cell phones and computer monitors that are cluttering up your closet or garage. You know you can't just toss them in the trash, so what should you do?

Lisa Hellman, secretary of Orange County Inner City Outings, discovered a solution that complies with the law, protects the environment, and helps fund her activities with inner city youth. Hellman is coordinating a cell phone collection drive in conjunction with Ease E-Waste, a Santa Ana-based company that specializes in the responsible and lawful disposal of electronic waste.

'Because of new laws permitting American consumers to transport their phone numbers from one carrier to another, an estimated 100 million cell phones will be thrown away this year alone,' said John Upton, Ease E-Waste's CEO.

It is illegal to dump cell phones and other covered electronic devices in landfills or in undesignated areas. Discarded electronic devices contain lead as well as highly toxic cadmium and mercury that can leach into the groundwater.

The Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 regulates the disposal of video display devices including televisions and computer monitors made with cathode ray tubes and computers made with liquid crystal displays (LCDs). In July, regulations will extend to gas plasma screens and televisions using LCDs. The Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004 requires retailers of cell phones to accept and recycle their phones. Retailers channel the recycled phones to shelters or to developing countries. They reuse batteries and circuits from phones that no longer work.

'The state of California is working with stakeholders to improve electronic recycling to keep these materials out of landfills,' said Jeff Hunts, supervisor of the e-waste program at the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Visitors to the user-friendly site, www.erecycle.org, can search by material type to find reuse and recycle options for electronic devices.

At the Ease E-Waste warehouse, workers sort and break down non-working computers, servers, copiers, and other electronic products, and remove circuit boards, speakers, video cards, and copper wiring. They extract plastic, aluminum, small amounts of gold, and other metals.

The company sells working computers to refurbishers and sends nonfunctioning equipment to Electronic Partners Corporation, a recycler. At the corporation's facility in Boyle Heights, machines spin, crush, and granulate computer monitors. Gravity, motion, and air act to separate out aluminum, copper, and tin. The commodities are sold to local smelters. Other machines grind glass from computer screens into fine sand to be used in concrete.

The cell phone collection will be an ongoing fundraising drive for OC Inner City Outings. Since January 2003, the group has led more than 240 youths on hikes or campouts at sites including Crystal Cove, Limestone Canyon, and Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Funds from the recycling drive will help buy binoculars, rain and sun hats, fanny packs, rain slickers, and digital cameras for the youths from low-income urban communities.

Currently, you may drop off cell phones at the Angeles Chapter office, 3250 Wilshire Blvd. #1106, 90010 (10am-6pm); REI, 1411 Village Way, Santa Ana, 92705 (714-543-4142); or Acorn Naturalists, 155 El Camino Real, Tustin, 92780 (800-422-8886). More collections sites to come. Contact Lisa Hellman at lhellman-at-hmausa.com or 714-964-4488 for more information.

How to recycle hazardous and electronic waste

All locations below accept both kinds of waste.

Hazardous waste: Paint and solvents; used motor oil and filters, anti-freeze and other automotive fluids; cleaning products; pool and garden chemicals; aerosol cans; all medicines; auto batteries; household batteries

Electronic waste (e-waste): Computers, monitors, printers, network equipment, cables, telephones, televisions, microwaves, video games, cell phones, radios, stereos, VCRs, electronic toys

City of Los Angeles

The following S.A.F.E. centers serve residences only. If you have business e-waste, see www.lacity.org/SAN/ewaste.htm

U.C.L.A. S.A.F.E. CENTER
550 Charles E. Young Dr. West, L.A., 90095. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 8am-2pm. Electronic waste accepted on Saturday only.

Gaffey Street S.A.F.E. Center
1400 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro, 90021. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 9am-3pm

Hyperion S.A.F.E. Collection Center - NEW
Hyperion Treatment Plant, 7660 W. Imperial Highway, Gate B, Playa Del Rey, 90293. Saturday and Sunday, 9am-3pm

Randall Street S.A.F.E. Center
11025 Randall St., Sun Valley 91352. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, 9am-3pm

Washington Blvd. S.A.F.E. Center
2649 E. Washington Blvd., L.A., 90021. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 9am-3pm. This site also accepts bulky items (furniture, doors, large appliances, bikes, scrap metals, etc.) Bring LADWP bill and a photo ID for proof of residency. No commercial drop-offs accepted.

County of Los Angeles

Mobile collection centers held continuously throughout the county (including within the city of L.A.). Schedule is at http://www.lacity.org/SAN/hhw-ewaste-schedule.htm. 1-800-98-TOXIC

Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach
2420 Marine Ave., Redondo Beach. Proof of residency is required. Wednesday through Saturday, 9am-1pm. 310-318-0665

Glendale
For curbside residential bulky item collection (including electronics), call 818-548-3916.

Burbank
Burbank Recycle Center, 500 S. Flower St., Burbank, 91502. Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm (818-238-3900); Saturday, 8am-4pm (818-841-9700)

Orange County

All facilities take hazardous waste and e-waste. Bring proof of residency. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9am-1pm. (Closed on rainy days, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas and New Years days.)

CVT Public Recycling Center
1071 N. Blue Gum St., Anaheim

Rainbow Disposal
17121 Nichols St., Huntington Beach

Facility
(next to the city of Irvine Corporate Yard and Animal Shelter and in front of the City of Irvine Dog Park), 6411 Oak Canyon, Irvine

Prima Deshecha Landfill
32250 La Pata Ave., San Juan Capistrano

To find companies that recycle business computers, see www.ci.glendale.ca.us/government/pw/pw_integrated_waste_management/electronics_recycling.asp