Sharp, Toshiba and Panasonic are now offering their U.S. customers a way to safely dump old electronics without paying recycling fees or waiting for municipal collection days.
The three companies jointly founded the Manufacturer's Recycling Management Company (MRM) and began operating 280 collection sites last week. While consumers can use the sites to discard electronics from other manufacturers, there may be a cost involved, depending on state laws and the type of product being recycled. Other manufacturers can sign on to the project to eliminate consumer recycling fees for their products.
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Most states have at least two collection sites, though some have only one. That means lengthy drives for consumers who don't live near a site, but MRM president David Thompson told PC World that the company hopes to expand to 800 sites over the next few years.
Thompson also told PC World that the recycling process won't involve prison labor or overseas shipping of old electronics, two methods that have drawn the ire of environmental groups due to safety concerns.
When it comes to e-waste, the more options, the merrier. Statistics from the Electronics Takeback Coalition show a recycling rate of 18 percent for TVs and computers as of November, and 10 percent for cell phones. Giving people a way to immediately recycle their products is always a good idea.
The key factor, though, will be awareness. Manufacturers should take the lead by offering reminders or even incentives for customers to recycle their old products when purchasing new ones.
