Scrappah- What you say would work if EVERYONE (and not just scrappers) but EVERYONE would think as proactively as you do. But that's not reality and never will be. I suspect that most big CRT electronics aren't touch by scrappers in their disposal so yes, we as a group or the industry could be very proactive and most of the stuff would still be just thrown away. That's why there is a place for a well thought out and executed gov program. Most of the big regulatory happy states often have programs already in place such as municipal or county transfer stations where other recyclables are sorted out of the waster stream. And maybe the CRT electronics are being grabbed there and taken care of properly, I don't know. In my state, there is nothing like that. Our garbage gets "touched" twice if we live in a city and have trash service; once by the customer (producer of the waste) and once by the hauler. The hauler takes it directly to the landfill. Their loads are spot checked to see how much recyclables are in it and I suppose how many nasties. From such inspection their dump fee rates are determined.
My metro area has been proactive in electronics waste as it has a free drop off service for people who want to take it in. Where it goes downstream in the waste system, I don't know, maybe the city would tell someone where and who gets the electronics, maybe not. My state has thousands of miles of gravel township roads and I see an occasional big item, including electronics, in the ditches once in while. I suspect more would go into the ditches if more rules on disposal are inacted or actual fees got charged. Not what I would like to see but just reality. I think a lot of CRT type of things on farms and in small towns end up in someone's ravine in a pasture. Very few eyes watching out in the countryside...
Bookmarks