We can blame the government for a lot of these problems. Here is why.
There was a private company that used to take in used electronics,
particularly computers. The tested everything that came in, and would
fix stuff that was easily repairable. They had a store, where anyone
could buy an entire computer system for $20 to $50, they wiped and sold
all the hardrrives that worked, sold mice, keyboards, computer boards,
RAM, power supplies, modems, and you name it. They sold old vintage
radios and even some old test equipment and sometimes some electric
motors and other stuff like that.
The idiot state government shut them down, so they could make a lot of
money by charging everyone $20 or more (per piece) to get rid of
electronic waste. A TV costs $20. A computer is (I think) the same, and
if that computer includes a monitor and printer, that's 3 items, or $60.
All the stuff that was being recycled and re-sold in that store is now
going to the landfill. What a damn waste. I used to love going to that
store, and shopping for cheap electronic stuff. And if something failed
within 2 weeks it could be returned and exchanged for something similar.
Heck, when they were forced to shut down, I bought the stuff by the box.
Like a whole box of harddrives for $20, and a shoe box size of RAM for
$10, and so on. I still have 20lbs or so of all the small screws and
nuts they had collected from computers. That's been real handy to have.
What we have now, are tv sets. computers and whatever else being tossed
in the ditches along rural roads, because people dont want to pay the
disposal fee. The same is true for tires.
It's a dirty shame. That company was not only profitable, fun to shop
at, but it employed 20 or 30 disabled people, who took that stuff apart,
tested the parts, and ran the store. It's been about 10 years since the
damn state ruined that business and got greedy.
I dont know which plastics contain chlorinated materials, but I can
guess PVC is one of them (from the name).
We do not have any garbage pickup here, but for a huge price, I could
hire a private company. So, I have little choice but to burn paper and
plastics. But I do recycle all metals. On the rare occasion I have to
dispose of a CRT, I smash it in a box, and toss it in a dumpster at some
local business. I really do not know what else I can do.
One thing I do have to say, is that it's time they stop manufacturing
harmful plastics. Yea, I know PVC is useful for plumbing, but what about
all the packaging. Everything we buy is packed in plastic waste. I am
also the first person to complain when I go to a store, but one item and
the idiot clerk puts it into a plastic bag. One local store, the
employees are required to ask "Do you want a bag?". Unless I really need
a bag, I always say "NO". Then some of the idiot clerks put my stuff in
a bag right after I said "NO". That's when I tend to get a little rude
and say "I just told you NO BAG, remove it from the bag"....
In my opinion, all the EPA is good for, is to take money away from
private people, in the name of environment protection. If they were
doing any good, they would attack the producers of all the harmful
packaging and work to find safe alternatives.