Chaffee County’s Electronics Recycling Pilot Project that aimed to promote recycling and reduce associated landfill fees completed its trial period recently and was found by the sponsoring state agency to be unsustainable. As a result, the project will be discontinued, and the county’s original landfill fees will be reinstated.
“We will go back to the old recycling system, but we’ll keep looking for lower-priced alternatives,” said County Commissioner Greg Felt. “I am sorry to see it end because it was great for Chaffee County, but it was also a pilot project for the rest of the state. Counties are required to recycle electronics, but it is a very expensive proposition.”
Electronics will continue to be recycled at the Chaffee County landfill but will return to the previous rates of miscellaneous e-waste, 50 cents per pound ($10 minimum); TV/monitor with screen less than 30 inches, $20; flat screen TV/monitor, $20; and TV/monitor with screen 30 inches or wider, $40.
Appliances (stoves, water heaters, washers and fryers), which were included in the pilot program and used to offset the costs of electronics recycling, will now be accepted for $10 each. Refrigeration appliances that contain Freon will no longer be accepted.
“It is too bad the program was not able to continue,” said county Landfill Manager Shannon Wilcox. “However, we did take in a lot of electronics. The amount we are taking lately has really dropped off, so I think it had a good impact.” For additional information, contact Felt at 719-530-1118.
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