PASCO COUNTY

Electronic Equipment Recycling Program

Pasco County Utilities Department staff was the first in Florida and one of a handful of  counties in the nation to seek an alternative (alternative to landfilling or incineration) environmentally sound approach to manage the obsolete (End-Of-Life) electronic equipment (computers, monitors, TV’s, CPU’s, telephones, Xerox machines, VCR’s, etc.) arriving at our landfill daily.

In 1998, with the help of sponsors, the staff conducted a short-term experiment in the collection and demanufacturing EOL equipment, with some success. However, the results obtained from this experiment had attracted the attention of the staff of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) in Tallahassee, which requested us to present it nationwide at the SAWANA national convention in Missouri.

In February of 1999, FDEP warded Pasco County a $50,000 grant to conduct an in depth pilot program on the collection, demanufacturing, and recycling EOL electronics. The objectives here were to initiate a database as well as derive some conclusions and make recommendations to the State so that other counties can use our experience prior to embarking on recycling electronics. Furthermore, FDEP staff is currently looking at the possibility of assisting entrepreneurs to initiate demanufacturing and recycling businesses and to develop the badly needed infrastructure for doing so. It is most likely the state staff will take the results of our study in their decision making process.

In may of 1999 the county staff developed the complete scope of work, contracted with a demanufacturing facility in Tampa, implemented the pilot project, surveyed county residents, collected the technical data, analyzed the data, and successfully achieved the the pilot programs goals.

In March 2002, having secured the Board’s approval, the staff proceeded to implement a permanent recycling program. County established a new manned electronic equipment collection and recycling center where residents brought their obsolete equipment to us. All equipment received at the center were segregated, classified, and partially dismantled according to a predetermined protocol. Equipment were then palletized and transported to our remanufacturing facility in Tampa.

In our first year of the program, we collected a total of 251,000 pounds of electronic equipment that were repaired, reused as is or demanufactured. All monitors and TV’s (CRT’s) were shipped to out of state smelters and re-manufactured.

With our new experience and the addition of the East Pasco Transfer Station as a second collection center, the Year 2003 and the Year 2004 were much more fruitful.

This innovative county program is very young and we expect it to grow fast with the current technological advancement. It is interesting to mention here that this Pasco County program was awarded a national award for innovation by the National Association of Counties (Naco). This service is provided to both households as well as

businesses for a nominal fee.

For more information or the location nearest you

Please contact the

Environmental & HazWaste Manager

(727)847-8041