Israel is expanding its recycling programs to include old electronics, a major guzzler of landfill space.
A new company, called Snunit Recycling, has begun operating two collection points so far, as well as a mobile collection service across the country, to collect old electronic devices for recycling.
They collect computers, screens, printers, TVs, VCRs, DVD players, scanners, telephones, MP3 players, palm pilots, cameras, appliances, electronic toys, power tools and anything else electronic. The devices are disassembled into their different materials, which are then dispatched to different recycling and toxic waste disposal facilities to minimize pollution and save landfill space.
An American study found that electronic waste accounts for 70 percent of household toxic waste, Globes financial news reported. A local Israeli Environmental Ministry study found that Israelis discard 100,000 tons of electronics per year.
The pilot program for the collection is located in the town of Pardess Chana. "We hope that this business will eventually become profitable and that we'll make a profit from the sale of disaggregated waste,” Snunit founder Natan Shalva told Globes. “In the meantime, however, we're able to operate with the sponsorship of private investors. The waste collection involves no cost for the consumer. We take the collected equipment to our center, dismantle it, send the metals and plastics to Europe, and ensure proper disposal of the toxic substances."
A second collection site is at Tel Aviv’s Afeka College of Engineering. Private individuals can sign up for collection and they will be notified when Snunit’s mobile unit will make a visit to their neighborhood.
The organization's web site (Hebrew only) is: http://www.snunit-recycling.com
Click here and scroll down for a list of pick-up times and places in the coming weeks.