Counties Register Increased Collection

By Bob Downing, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Nov. 5–BOLIVAR — Old computers and electronics equipment were largely responsible for a record-setting collection of household hazardous wastes in 2007 in Stark, Wayne and Tuscarawas counties.

The three counties collected 1,501 tons in the annual collection, a 37 percent jump from the 1,095 tons collected in 2006.

“Electronic waste was huge, huge,” said Lennie Broom, assistant executive director of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District.

The three-county district might have to look at expanding collections for electronics because the volume is growing so much, he said.

His agency had collected 1,059 tons in 2005 and 972 tons in 2004.

The collections — two in Stark and one each in Wayne and Tuscarawas counties in August and September — drew 13,092 vehicles, up from the 11,579 vehicles in 2006.

The count was 7,698 vehicles in Stark County, 3,425 vehicles in Wayne County and 1,969 in Tuscarawas County.

The material collected from the three counties included 461 tons of computers and electronics, 414 tons of paints and 224 tons of tires.

Stark County was No. 1 in volume with 289 tons of electronics, nearly 253 tons of paint products and nearly 9 tons of tires. Its total was 775.7 tons.

Wayne County had 109.5 tons of electronics, nearly 108 tons of paints and more than 207 tons of tires. Its total was 544.7 tons.

Tuscarawas County had 62 tons of electronics, nearly 54 tons of paints and just under 8.5 tons of tires. Its total was 181 tons.

The district paid nearly $836,0000 to Clean Harbors of Massachusetts to handle and recycle the materials collected.

Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

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