|
|
Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder
Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM)
303-444-6634
Open Mon. - Sat., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4th & Labor Day)
 
Funded by City of Boulder
Trash Tax dollars
|
What's NEW at the CHaRM?
What you need to know about the digital TV conversion |
In mid-February 2009, broadcasting stations will transmit TV signals in digital format only. While many people already receive a digital signal through their TV or cable provider, some people will need to upgrade their equipment to receive the new signal. This does not mean you need to buy a new TV. A digital converter box will translate the digital signal for older televisions. Visit the DTV website for the following information:
- whether or not you'll be affected by the switch to a digital signal
- a coupon toward the purchase of a converter box
- the advantages of a digital signal
 Televisions contain 3-8 pounds of lead and a host of other heavy metals and synthetic compounds that threaten human and environmental health if not properly managed. It’s time to hold TV manufacturers responsible for their discarded products, just as they are in other countries of the world—including Japan, Taiwan and throughout the European Union. Learn which manufacturers are being responsible and which are not--and tell these ones to "Take Back My TV."
New material for recycling: Bike tires and tubes
|
 As we do every year, the CHaRM has opened its doors to yet another hard-to-recycle material: We now acccept bike tires and tubes for recycling!
CHaRM can accept all rubber bike tires and all rubber bike inner tubes; no automotive or other tires will be accepted. A small charge of 50 cents per bike tire will cover our processing costs, but there is no charge for bike tubes. These materials will only be accepted at the CHaRM and not through any other drop-off centers or curbside recycling program. Tires will be recycled into crumb rubber and inner tubes reused to make funky accessories by a local company. Read more about the process.
-
We accept rubber bike tires and tubes
-
Slime or puncture-resistant tubes are accepted but should be kept separately
-
Please detach from rim; rims and bikes are recyclable as scrap metal
- No automotive or other tires
Partners for Responsible Recycling |
The Camera and ListenUp have joined Eco-Cycle through our unique Partners for Responsible Recycling (PRR) program. These businesses understand that they are the source of a specific waste flow in our community, and, as responsible community members, they have partnered with Eco-Cycle to help create a recycling opportunity for these materials at the CHaRM. Learn more about our Partners for Responsible Recycling program.
Back to the top
Prices and Guidelines
#6 White Block Foam Packaging
• #6 White Block Foam Packaging and Rigid Foam Insulation only
• Residents: NO CHARGE
• Businesses: $6 per cubic yard
• NO packing peanuts, "Styrofoam"
cups or “to-go” boxes
Athletic Shoes: NO CHARGE
• NO cleats, metal parts, zippers, mud,
or Keds-type canvas sneakers
Audio Equipment
• Home Stereo Components: $8
• Car Stereos: $4
Big Durable #2 Plastics: NO CHARGE
• Large plastics marked with a #2 such as plastic toys like Big Wheels and plastic play structures,plastic lawn furniture, plastic watering cans,
laundry baskets, clean #2 plastic buckets (no residue), crates, rigid backyard kiddie pools and plastic trash containers with a #2.
• In some cases, these plastics may not be marked with a #2, so look for them
to be opaque with a matte finish and hollow inside. They are made
with a
mold, so will likely have a seam where two halves were joined.
• Please remove non-plastic parts.
• NO flower pots without a #2, inflatable pools or other inflatable plastics, water beds, chew toys, CD jewel cases, small toys such as action figures, etc.
Bike Tires & Tubes
• $.50 per bike tire
• No charge for tubes
• Puncture-resistant or slime tubes should be kept separately
• NO automotive or other tires
Books & Manuals: NO CHARGE*
• Computer and Office Manuals
• Hard-Bound Books and Paperbacks
• Also accepted at the Broomfield
Drop-off Center
*Call for quantities one pallet and larger
Computers & Computer Equipment
• Computer Monitors 19” or smaller: $10
• Computer Monitors 20” to 34”: $15
• Computer Towers/CPUs: $8
• Printers/Scanners: $8
• Laptops: $4
• Universal Power Supply (UPS): $8
• Keyboards, Mice, Cables: NO CHARGE
• Large* misc. computer equip.: 30¢/lb.
*More than 40 lbs.
Cooking Oil: NO CHARGE
• Such as: canola, corn, vegetable, olive and sesame oils
• NO motor oil or any oil used for purposes other than cooking.
|
Copiers & Fax Machines
• Fax Machines: $8
• Desktop Copiers: $8
• Large Copiers (over 40lbs.): 30¢/lb
Fire Extinguishers
• Boulder Residents with ID:
NO CHARGE
• Non-Boulder Residents: $4
Phones
• Cell Phones: NO CHARGE
• Office Phones: $4
• Home Phones: $2
#2 & #4 Plastic Bags: NO CHARGE
• #2 and #4 ONLY (newspaper bags, grocery bags, dry cleaner bags, etc.)
• MUST be clean, dry, and empty of all food, receipts, etc.
with tape and stickers removed
• NO sandwich bags, plastic food wrap or black bags
Printer Cartridges: NO CHARGE
• Ink Jet and Laser Jet Printer Cartridges
Shredding Service
• Paper materials only
• $10 per file box
• View our tips to reduce shredding.
Small Electronic Items
• Digital cameras: $2
• PDAs and Gameboys: $2
• Video Game Systems: $4-$8
(depending on size)
• Walkmans/iPods: $2
Toilets, Sinks and Urinals
• Toilet, porcelain only (all other materials removed): $4
• Toilet, whole (other materials still attached): $10
• Sink or urinal, porcelain only: $2
• Sink or urinal, plumbing attached: $5
• Porcelain with biohazards will NOT be accepted.
Textiles: NO CHARGE
• Clothing, Bedding, Towels, Fabrics
• Paired Shoes (no mud)
• Items may be stained or ripped, but they must be clean. Must be 12” square or larger.
• NO underwear or socks
TVs & VCRs/DVD Players
• TVs 19” or smaller: $10
• Mid-Size TVs 20” to 34”: $15
• Consoles and TVs larger than 34”: $30
• VCRs/DVD Players: $8
• Satellite Boxes: $8
|
Don't see your item on the list? Check out our Hard-To-Recycle Guide or call Eco-Cycle at 303-444-6634. (Call 303-444-6634 for prices on large quantities from businesses.)
Payment: Checks and cash preferred. MasterCard, Visa, and American Express also accepted.
Back to the top
Does Eco-Cycle collect hard-to-recycle materials from businesses?
Yes! Eco-Cycle offers CHaRM on the Road, a collection program for hard-to-recycle materials from businesses. For most large collections, our hauling rate is $65 per hour from when our truck leaves our gate until it returns. Pricing for material processing is based on weight rather than unit for large quantities of computer equipment from businesses. Use the unit prices above to estimate these weight-based fees. Collection service is also available for materials for which there is no processing fee, such as plastic stretch wrap, hardcover books and athletic shoes. See the full list of accepted materials above. Please call 303-444-6634 for more information or to schedule a collection.
Back to the top
What are the hours and location?
HOURS: Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Closed for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, July 4th, Memorial Day, and New Year's Day.)
DIRECTIONS: The CHaRM is located at 5030 "old" Pearl Street in Boulder - this is not the old drop-off center. To get there from Pearl Parkway, turn north on 49th Street and go to the end. Turn right on "old" Pearl and then right at the Eco-Cycle sign on the mailbox. Drive into the Center and up to the yellow window. Map to CHaRM
Find directions with Mapquest
HARD-TO-RECYCLE ROUNDUPS: Eco-Cycle offers CHaRM collection in other communities in Boulder County anywhere from once to four times a year. View our calendar of events for upcoming collections or sign up to receive an email update when a Hard-to-Recycle Roundup is coming to your community.
Back to the top
Why is it important to recycle electronic equipment?
Televisions and computers each contain 3-8 pounds of lead, and like most electronics, can contain a host of other toxic substances such as cadmium, mercury and arsenic. These toxic substances could contaminate groundwater when landfilled.
Back to the top
Why is there a fee?
There is a fee for recycling most electronic items. All items must be disassembled before they can be recycled, a labor-intensive process that often requires
handling toxic substances. The funds are also used to offset the cost of collection, storage and marketing of the materials.
 Why recycle electronics with Eco-Cycle?
Eco-Cycle is a proud signer of the Electronic Recycler’s Pledge of True Stewardship. This means we will not work with processors who export hazardous electronic scrap to developing countries. After being sorted for reusable equipment, your electronic waste (e-waste) will be safely processed within developed countries and will also be kept out of landfills, incinerators and prison recycling operations. This Pledge is the world’s most rigorous environmental and social criteria for the dismantling and recycling of e-waste.
Will the public always have to pay for recycling materials like this?
Not if we can help it. In other countries, manufacturers (including U.S. multinationals) are required to pay for recycling their toxic product rather than putting that burden on customers, government or non-profits.
Eco-Cycle is part of a coalition working to create similar "take-back" programs in the U.S. If U.S. companies participate in Take-Back programs abroad, why not here? Until businesses begin to design products for recycling and disassembly and offer free "take-back" programs, recyclers like you, local governments like the City of Boulder, and nonprofits like Eco-Cycle will continue to bear the cost of doing the right thing.
Back to the top
What happens to my "hard-to-recycle" items?
- Books: Children's books in good condition are distributed to Boulder County nonprofits to give to their clients. Other books of value are sold for reuse. For the remaining books, the spine is sheared off and the paper is recycled.
- Electronic Equipment: Working computers that are Pentium III and above are donated to the Jared Polis Foundation. Their C3 program helps bring computers to the underserved communities of Colorado by refurbishing donated computers and connecting them with potential community group recipients. Some higher-end monitors and printers are also reused. Obsolete electronics go to certified demanufacturing facilities in the USA where they are disassembled and recycled.
- Cell Phones: Cell phones will be either refurbished and reused, or dismantled into their constituent parts and recycled.
- Plastic Bags with a #2 or #4: Plastic bags are being processed and marketed to companies that produce the leading alternative to wood decks by using recycled plastic bags, stretch wrap from businesses, and wood waste such as wood chips, shavings, and sawdust.
- Ink Jet and Laser Jet Cartridges: Ink jet and laser printer cartridges are sent to a company that is able to refurbish and refill most brands. Those that are not reusable are recycled when possible.
- Textiles and paired shoes: Textiles brought to the CHaRM facility will be reused whenever possible, with much of them going to African communities in need. Materials that can’t be reused will be recycled as rags. A good method to determine whether the CHaRM will accept your textile item is to ask yourself whether it could be made into a rag (with the exception of underwear, socks and shoes).
- Athletic Shoes: Shoes that are worn beyond reuse are turned into a material used to resurface athletic fields, tracks and playgrounds.
- #6 White Block Foam: Block foam packaging is sent to a polystyrene recycler who uses it to make products like CD cases, light switches and cover plates, and other household items made from polystyrene. Rigid foam insulation is turned into new rigid foam insulation for building foundations.
- Fire Extinguishers: After the retardant is safely discharged, the metal cylinders are recycled.
- Cooking oil: Cooking oil is used by a local manufacturer in the creation of biodiesel.
- Big Durable #2 Plastics: Your big durable #2 plastics will be responsibly recycled in the U.S. and made into recycled plastic railroad ties. This very durable, long-lasting product can be used in place of virgin hardwood lumber railroad ties injected with creosote. Hardwood lumber takes a very long time to regrow, and creosote contains several toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, which can leach into the environment through contact with soil or water.
- Toilets, Sinks and Urinals: These porcelain materials will be sent to a company that grinds up old concrete into a material that can be used in place of gravel road base in road construction projects.
Back to the top
Does the CHaRM have plans to accept additional materials in the future?
The Center hopes to add at least one new material for recycling every year. Our dedicated recyclers receive an email once or twice a year when we add a new material or hold a special collection event.
Special Hard-to-Recycle Materials Collections
Eco-Cycle partners with local communities to provide annual or more frequent collections of hard-to-recycle materials typically collected only at the CHaRM. View our schedule of upcoming special collections and learn more about how you can help at these events.
Help Protect our Environment and Our Community’s Health
Through the CHaRM, Eco-Cycle is keeping large volumes of often toxic materials out of the landfill, ensuring that non-traditional recyclables are recycled responsibly in the U.S., and making sure these valuable resources are staying in production. Last year, the CHaRM recycled more than 900,000 pounds of electronics, which equates to 36 semi-trailers full of electronics scrap! We also collected 26 trailers full of block foam, 30,000 pounds of plastic bags and 140,000 pounds of paper from books not suitable for reuse.
Support the recycling of hard-to-recycle materials with a tax-deductible donation today!
The "CHaRM"
Funded by the City of Boulder Trash Tax Dollars,
Eco-Cycle and YOU.
We thank you for your support and for your concern!
Back to the top
|
