According to state officials, some 100,000 pounds of electronic waste has been recycled so far this year.
It’s part of a new program to increase electronic recycling in rural areas.
Last year, a grant program with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy helped place recycling locations for electronic waste across the state - including in Sault Sainte Marie.
Other efforts are underway to expand e-recycling in Oscoda and Alpena.
Judy Palnau is with EGLE.
“It’s one way to keep harmful materials out of landfills or even taking up space in landfills when they don’t need to,” she said.
Since starting electronic recycling programs last year in rural parts of the state, some 400,000 pounds of equipment has been recycled.
“The good news in the Upper Peninsula is there are permanent collection sights at the Goodwill retail stores,” Palnau said. “In Houghton, Iron Mountain, Escanaba, Sault Saint Marie, and Marquette they all have ongoing collections.”
She said there’s been a lot of pent up demand in rural parts of the state for electronic recycling and she’s happy the service is being used.