SPRINGETTSBURY TWP., Pa. — Recycling electronic devices turned a York County shopping mall parking lot into a dump. People were illegally dropping off their old electronics at the Best Buy in Springettsbury Township after the e-cycling program in York County was suspended.
The Covered Device Recycling Act – or Act 108 – bans people from disposing of electronics – which ultimately requires people to recycle them. The York County Solid Waste Authority said the law has created a major influx of electronics in the recycling market, causing the price of recycled electronics to decrease. This has made it difficult for e-cycling vendors because it is too expensive for them.
Since e-cycling vendors won’t pick up the electronics, people were illegally dropping them behind the Best Buy store and in their parking lot. It’s a major problem because this time of year is when people try to get rid of their old electronics.
Ellen O’Connor with the York County Solid Waste Authority said, “It couldn’t have happened at a worse time of year with everybody getting all of their holiday electronics and looking for a home for their old stuff.”
The Authority asked that people hold onto electronic devices while they work on implementing a new e-cycling program. They said York County is not the only county to suspend their program. Other counties in Pennsylvania have done the same.
