E-waste drop-off an instant hit

Nearly 2,000 people brought their outdated electronics to a recycling event Saturday at Huppin’s Warehouse.

The free drop-off was so popular that traffic snarled on the Broadway freeway exit. Lines of pickups formed, with old TVs and computer terminals stacked in the truck beds like cords of firewood.

The event started at 7 a.m. Seven hours later, 10 semitrucks were full of e-waste, and Huppin’s reluctantly began turning away donations.

“We’re out of capacity,” said an apologetic Murray Huppin, president of Huppin’s Hi-Fi Photo & Video, who promised to put on another event. “Unfortunately, we didn’t anticipate this level of turnout.”

About 175,000 pounds of electronics were collected. They’ll be shipped to Seattle, where about 90 percent of the materials, including plastics, will be recycled and reused, Huppin said.

Other sponsors of the event included Sony Corp., Waste Management Inc. and The Spokesman-Review.

Kendal Kazanis waited in line for 2 1/2 hours. She was cleaning out clutter and got rid of a trunk load of old videocassette recorders and computer gear.

“I’d rather see it recycled than go into the dump,” said Kazanis, who deemed the wait worthwhile. In return for dropping off the goods, she received a coupon good for $25 to $150 off the purchase of a television.

Dean Weiss’ North Side neighbors filled up his pickup with antiquated electronic equipment.

“We’re taking one for the team,” said Bill Kalivas, who came with Weiss and was entertaining a bored 3-year-old in the back seat.

By the end of the day, Huppin’s parking lot took on a museum-like feel, with generations of electronic equipment on display.

“I saw a lot of stuff from the 1970s,” said Huppin, who was helping unload equipment.

Bulky, old-style computer monitors were common. So were old televisions, which appeared far down the evolutionary ladder from today’s sleek, flat-screen TVs.

“That might be pre-TV. It’s almost an antique,” said Huppin’s employee Guy Marshall, pointing to a console with AM/FM radio and a variable-speed turntable. Household ownership of electronics is exploding. Washington state averaged one TV per household in 1970, and personal computers hadn’t hit the market. By 2009, the Department of Ecology estimates that there will be one TV for every resident and more computers than people.

More electronics per household also means more discards, said Miles Kuntz, manager for Ecology’s electronic products recycling program. Proper recycling is critical, he added.

A computer contains a host of chemicals, including lead, mercury, cadmium and flame retardants. Many are toxic in small doses, which is why government agencies don’t want old electronics in landfills.

To encourage recycling, a law takes effect Jan. 1 that will allow Washington households, schools, charities and small businesses to recycle TVs and computers for free. Kuntz said electronics manufacturers will pay for the program, which is expected to cost about $8 million annually.

To find a free drop-off location after the New Year, call 1-800-RECYCLE.

That may be an option for Charlie Greenwood, who was turned away from the Huppin’s event. His van was stuffed with 30 years’ worth of electronics, contributed by four families. But he arrived at 3 p.m., after donation collection had stopped.

Greenwood couldn’t contemplate unloading the van on Saturday evening and stuffing the old gear back into attics and basements.

“Snow tire season is coming up,” he said. “I figured that I would leave it in there for ballast.”