Recycle for good health
While many common household items pose no danger to human health, some do have toxic substances.
Proper disposal and recycling prevents those toxic components from reaching the environment.
It’s typically free and simple to do, according to the hazardous waste coordinator for Island County, Jerry Mingo and Scott Chase, Island County’s shore stewards coordinator.
Mercury is one example.
According to the Washington Department of Health, human exposure to mercury is almost entirely from eating fish. Mercury is a health concern to children and women of childbearing age.
When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sampled fish caught in Washington state waters, almost 30 percent had mercury levels that exceeded EPA’s safety exposure limit for women of childbearing age.
Though there are many sources of mercury in the environment, it is important that none of the mercury in household products makes it into our landfills and water bodies, Mingo said.
Mercury is a persistent bio-accumulative neurotoxin that is found in several common home and office equipment, including computers and televisions. Many electronics contain mercury, lead and cadmium.
Those items can now be disposed of for free thanks to a new state program.
Televisions, computer monitors, computer CPU towers and laptop computers can be disassembled to recover plastic, metals and glass for recycling.
Since the beginning of this year, Island County has recycled more than 287,000 pounds of these electronics, and 22 million pounds have been recycled statewide.
While the state does not recycle keyboards, fax machines, modems, printers, DVD and VCR players, recyclers of those items can be found by visiting www. ecyclewashington.org, or by phoning 1-800-RECYCLE.
Batteries also contain a variety of toxic chemicals and can be recycled for free at county recycle centers, Mingo said.
“In 2008, we shipped over 18,000 pounds of lithium, alkaline, mercuric oxide, silver oxide, nickel-cadmium, and other household batteries. Island County sorts and ships household batteries by chemistry type for recycling or safe disposal. Due to fire hazard, exposed battery terminals should be sealed before storage or transport, Mingo said.
“The safest practice is for residents to cover exposed terminals of old batteries with clear packing tape before storing or recycling at any facility,” said Mingo.
Fluorescent light bulbs
Another common household item of concern is compact fluorescent light bulbs.
While fluorescent lights use about a quarter of the energy of conventional light bulbs and last up to ten times longer, each fluorescent light contains a small amount of mercury, and each year broken fluorescent tubes release up to 500 pounds of mercury into the environment, according to state statistics.
It is critical to recycle fluorescent lamps and not put them in the trash.
Breakage releases the mercury vapor into the atmosphere. It is absorbed by plankton in the sea and then enters the food chain.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs can be recycled at the nearest county recycle center and at Home Depot and other retail stores.
Where to recycle
The Camano Transfer Station and Recycle at 75 E. Camano Rd., is open daily 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. The North Snohomish County Recycling and Transfer Station at 19600 63rd Ave. NE in Arlington is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday and 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. on weekends.
