In Pinellas County the Household Electronics & Chemical Collection Center (HEC3), in the “proper disposal” place for all televisions, outdated computer equipment, VCRs, DVD players, and obsolete cell phones that contain heavy metals and materials that can be harmful to the environment.

Recent media reports, including a “Sixty Minutes” segment and articles in Wired and National Geographic magazines, have detailed the terrible consequences of improper disposal, particularly in Third World countries. Operations have been exposed in Africa, India and China where practices include burning circuit boards and wiring in open air fires to recover metals. The resulting air pollution is devastating to both the individuals involved and their communities.

Additional Resources

http://www.pinellascounty.org/utilities/swapshop.htm

http://www.pinellascounty.org/utilities/getridofit/default.htm