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Collection Day For Old TV, Computer Gear Draws Crowd

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By VALERIE KALFRIN

vkalfrin@tampatrib.com

Published: January 10, 2009

TAMPA - Residents hauling televisions and computer gear clogged traffic on West Spruce Street today for the chance to ditch those old devices safely.

The city's Solid Waste Department offered its first Electronics-Only Collection Day in advance of the Feb. 17 FCC-required switch to all-digital television signals. The waste department hosts collections of chemicals and electronics twice a year but thought the approaching deadline warranted special attention, officials said.

They were right: Motorists were packed bumper-to-bumper between Dale Mabry Highway and Lois Avenue steadily from about 8:40 a.m. till well after noon. Tampa police directing traffic said four of them had gotten into a fender-bender, and one car had overheated.

Resident Loretta Saunders braved the traffic to drop off five televisions, having missed the previous collection day. "I only waited in line about 20 minutes," she said.

By about 1 p.m., workers had filled four 40-yard trash bins with televisions, in addition to pallets piled with monitors, printers, and computer gear, said Tonja Brickhouse, the department's director.

"The citizens are taking advantage of this," Brickhouse said. "I have seen TVs that were from the '60s."

Creative Recycling of Tampa contracts with the department to break down these items into components for disposal. The lead in cathode-ray tubes is among one of the environmental hazards.

Another electronics and chemical collection day is scheduled for April 25.

Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800.

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