UNWANTED EXPENSE CHARITIES FIND E-DONATIONS COSTLY.Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - Outdated computers are taking serious bytes out of some charity budgets. The cycle begins when well-meaning donors buy new computers and, not wanting their old systems to go to waste, drop them off at the closest charity. But many nonprofit organizations are finding that these donations cost them more than they are worth. ``We take the computers and sell them 'as is' in the stores,'' said Edward Irby, director of operations for the Canoga Park Adult Rehabilitation rehabilitation: see physical therapy. Center of the Salvation Army Salvation Army, Protestant denomination and international nonsectarian Christian organization for evangelical and philanthropic work. Organization and Beliefs The Salvation Army has established branches in 100 countries throughout the world. . ``But sometimes they sell and sometimes they don't. That's when they go to the metal recycler.'' Irby said his region, which includes Santa Clarita, takes in about 20 computer monitors a day. A recycler dismantles the equipment, removing the metal and disposing of the hazardous waste Hazardous waste Any solid, liquid, or gaseous waste materials that, if improperly managed or disposed of, may pose substantial hazards to human health and the environment. Every industrial country in the world has had problems with managing hazardous wastes. . He said the company doesn't charge for removal, but that other centers, such as Van Nuys, have to pay up to $35 per monitor for trash haulers to take them away, which comes out of funds that could be better spent to help Salvation Army clients. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the National Safety Council, more than 10,000 computers and television sets become obsolete daily. Just 20 percent of those are recovered for recycling. Laura Peining, executive director of the Santa Clarita Resource Center, said that more often than not, she refuses computer donations. ``I tell them I won't take it and won't pass it on,'' she explained. ``If it's fully loaded with programs, even then there can be problems. I had a computer that was older and because all my drives weren't there, I got a virus. It cost me a fortune to fix.'' Peining said an additional difficulty faced by local nonprofits is that not all of their volunteers know about installing software or troubleshooting computer problems. She is working on a grant to fund a part-time technician who would be available for telephone consultations and to help the nonprofits keep their computers running. Any charity with a drop-off area could find itself with items that are more trash than treasure. Monitors, hard drives, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers and fax machines that contain potentially harmful components (such as cathode ray tubes See CRT. (hardware) cathode ray tube - (CRT) An electrical device for displaying images by exciting phosphor dots with a scanned electron beam. CRTs are found in computer VDUs and monitors, televisions and oscilloscopes. in TVs and computer monitors) cannot simply be tossed into the trash bin. On Sept. 24, Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation establishing the collection of fees to cover electronic waste recycling at the point of sale. Funds collected will be distributed to recyclers to cover the costs of processing the materials. ``The likelihood of nonprofits being overwhelmed with e-waste in the near future is very real,'' said Goodwill Industries in a Sept. 16 letter to Davis. ``Attempts by the nonprofit thrift stores to decline such donations may threaten the larger donation flow ... people will continue to illegally dump at thrift store donation centers. Nonprofits do not have a revenue source to pay the disposal fees.'' The city of Santa Clarita is trying to help with the problem by including a section in new trash hauler contracts to cover e-waste disposal. According to Travis Lange, environmental services The various combinations of scientific, technical, and advisory activities (including modification processes, i.e., the influence of manmade and natural factors) required to acquire, produce, and supply information on the past, present, and future states of space, atmospheric, manager for Santa Clarita, the city recently received a grant to expand its household hazardous waste Household hazardous waste (HHW) is the term for common household chemicals and substances for which the owner no longer has a use. Exhibiting many of the same dangerous characteristics as fully regulated hazardous waste, HHW is not regulated by the EPA. pickup service to include e-waste. Additionally, the county of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. holds hazardous-waste roundups at various locations where people can bring items unfit for the landfills. Along with e-waste, the county will accept lawn and garden care products, paint and paint-related products, automotive fluids and batteries, beauty products and medicines, household cleaners and miscellaneous items such as fluorescent lights, mercury thermometers, photo chemicals, lighter fluid Lighter fluid may refer to:
Any of a class of thermosetting polymers, polyethers built up from monomers with an ether group that takes the form of a three-membered epoxide ring. The familiar two-part epoxy adhesives consist of a resin with epoxide rings at the ends of its molecules and a curing , swimming pool chemicals, mothballs, glue and batteries containing mercury. Two hazardous-waste roundups are scheduled for Saturday north of Santa Clarita. These county-sponsored collections are free of charge. Materials can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at High Desert School, 3620 Antelope Woods Road, Acton, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Community Center/Children's Library at Sierra Highway Sierra Highway is a road in Southern California, United States. It runs from Tunnel Station near the north limit of the City of Los Angeles, where it intersects with San Fernando Road and Foothill Boulevard, as well as Interstate 5, and continues north to Mojave, mostly paralleling and Avenue Q-6 in Palmdale. Carol Rock, (661) 257-5252 carol.rock(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Computers donated to thrift stores often wind up costing money when they must be hauled away as hazardous trash. David R. Crane/Staff Photographer |
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