From today's editorial:

In the hit TV show "Madmen" -- which takes place in 1962 -- the main character, Don Draper, and his family go on a picnic. As they finish, Don pitches his empty beer bottle into the distance while his wife shakes out paper waste onto the green grass.

The United States' anti-littering campaigns had already begun by 1962, but many people still weren't paying attention. How far we've come. Or have we? Building up along our roads, and hidden in our weekly garbage, is litter much worse for the environment than empty beer bottles and used napkins. There you can find the innards of old televisions, outdated laptops and obsolete computer monitors. They can contain toxic chemicals, such as mercury and flame retardants.

It hasn't been easy or convenient to dispose of them, but that will change Jan. 1 when a Washington state law takes effect. Consumers can recycle computers, televisions, monitors and laptops at no charge. (Manufacturers of electronics are sharing the cost of the new program.) In the Spokane area, Goodwill Industries will be one of the major recyclers.

"If you can, hold onto your (electronic) stuff until Jan. 1. Then recycle it for free," advises John Swiderski, owner of Deer Park Computer Sales and Service.

Do you remember litter bug campaigns from your 1960s-1970s youth?
What electronic litter gathers dust in your basement?

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