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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Five-day closure, detour coming to Merlin interchange project in May Teenager struck, killed by car 10 things to know for Wednesday Emergency Services Medford, Talent language groups hope to attract Spanish speakers Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Teenager struck, killed by car Emergency Services Serial killer Susan Monica found guilty on all charges, gets 50 years Monica on the stand: 'I generally shoot my animals more than once' Five teens sent to hospital after crash near Medford Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Gov. Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s earthquake election Former state Senate President Brady Adams dies Education Students participate in fuel reduction effort at Ruch School New funding formula awards universities for graduating more students Official hopeful whooping cough case at John Muir contained Crater dropout says graduating high school would've saved him time and money New Medford middle school would offer Montessori approach Environment Jackson County's wildlife services agent seen as both killer and savior Biomass technology: Creating products out of former waste Sugar Pine Mine co-owner: "Please stop calling the BLM and threatening their personnel" Oath Keepers say they'll defend contested mining claim on BLM land Central Point's Arbor Day project will provide shade along Mingus Creek State News Oregon lawmakers advance vaccine bill to budget committee Agency: Humpback whales' recovery is national success story Les Schwab descendant plans to close Central Oregon road popular with hunters Oregon bill would prohibit charges for filming police Woman, 98, gets birthday wish: horse-drawn carriage ride Nation - World Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Florene LaVonne (Johnson) Stephens Cheryl Ann Orr Karen Colleen Granman (Karr) Norma Lee Nicholas Genevieve Rose Truly Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Brent St. Germain: It’s risky to draft QBs early Howard, Harden propel Rockets past Mavericks Fisher takes medalist honor in SWC meet Tornado cruises to win over Willamette Panthers rally for SWC victory Varsity 541 College Sports Marshall stays with Ducks to get better Eckert, Beavers take series from Arizona Randall drives SOU into postseason Beaver fans get first look at Andersen, Collins Raiders drop two pitching duels at EOU Pro Sports Howard, Harden propel Rockets past Mavericks Injuries again have a major role in playoffs We should appreciate Jabbar while he’s still with us Bucs have front-runner for draft, stay mum Vogt homer powers A's past Angels Community Sports Bailey picks up modified win Wilson delivers in return of local boxing Palmer breezes to second straight men’s title Business Latest Stories Lithia Motors reports second-best quarter ever Jackson County's March unemployment rate returns to pre-recession level Ride & Drive: 2015.5 Volvo V60 Cross Country Burger joint coming to Ashland Rogue Credit Union nearing $1 billion in assets Real Estate News Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house GREEN ACRES: Southern Oregon provides escape from the maddening crowd Since You Asked: Metro Medford rebranding proved economical Jackson County median home price hits $215,000 in first quarter People In Business People in Business, March 26, 2015 Transportation Lithia Motors reports second-best quarter ever Business briefs Medford airport's record run continues Gov. Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Erickson shores up business with three contracts Agriculture Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house New bosses take charge at Harry & David Dancin Vineyards covers up Broth maker leaves San Diego for Medford Opinion Latest Our View: Raises for Jackson County officials — again Letters to the Editor, April 22 Kathleen Parker: Mr. Hughes goes to Washington Landgren cartoon: Tick season Granlund cartoon: Minnesota ISIS Editorials Our View: Raises for Jackson County officials — again Other Views: Delay edible marijuana products for safety Our View: The rule of law vs. armed confrontation Other Views: State Board of Education dragging its feet over Native American mascots Our View: Impeachment should be an option Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, April 22 Letters to the Editor, April 21 Letters to the Editor, April 20 Letters to the Editor, April 19 Letters to the Editor, April 17 Columns Kathleen Parker: Mr. Hughes goes to Washington Esther Cepeda: What happens in Latin America should be reported Kathleen Parker: Presidential election 2016: The woman trap Dana Milbank: America's new cycle of partisan hatred George Will: Don't seize the raisins Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: This Earth Day, we celebrate the Northwest Forest Plan The Medford School Board was right: 'American Pageant' is a fine book, and the board did its homework The Medford School Board was wrong: 'American Pageant' is a political agenda, not history Guest Opinion: Removing barriers to walking, biking benefits everyone Guest Opinion: Conversion therapy on LGBT youth is child abuse Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: What about Lucy? Tammy Kelly: The South’s favorite side dish — slaw Community blog: Steep, don't smother, chilaquiles in red chili sauce David Murdock: Toward a modern mythology Page H. Onorato: Did you really eat that? Food Tammy Kelly: The South’s favorite side dish — slaw Community blog: Steep, don't smother, chilaquiles in red chili sauce Page H. Onorato: Did you really eat that? Have you wandered down the Bear Creek Wine Trail yet? Season Stepp: Learn how to cook asparagus with a few easy tips Home and Garden Garden Cameos: Spring is time for azaleas in the garden Dear Monty: Seven costly mistakes of new real estate investors Paul Rogers: Enjoy convenience of container gardening Home Help: 3 quick, easy kitchen and bath upgrades Carol Link: Tea olive shrubs can be propagated from new growth Health Community blog: What about Lucy? Brent St. Germain: One year and counting Community blog: The Healing Power of Nature Official hopeful whooping cough case at John Muir contained Health Watch: How to avoid the dreaded weight-loss plateau Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, April 17 Religion briefs: Friday, April 10 Religion briefs: Friday, April 3 Religion briefs: Friday, March 27 Milestones and Achievements Witham's birthday bash draws hundreds for 1950s prices Charlesworth-Murphy Drizzle doesn't dampen Pear Blossom Parade spirit New Arrivals: Sunday, April 12 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories A Taste of Ashland pairs food and wine at galleries Moment in Time present 'Viejo con Nuevo' Britt adds Watkins Family Hour concert with Sean and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, Fiona Apple and others Five picks for entertainment this week L.A. rockers The Relationship play Howiee's Theater 'Secret Love' playwright Stan Lai appears in Ashland REVIEW: 'Secret Love' strikes comical, poignant balance Ashland New Plays Festival chooses new artistic director A tale of two plays at OSF Oregon Cabaret Theatre's "The Musical!" delivers five clever Broadway parodies in Ashland Music Britt adds Watkins Family Hour concert with Sean and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, Fiona Apple and others Alex de Grassi and Andrew York play SOU Live Music in Local Clubs L.A. rockers The Relationship play Howiee's Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship Community Events A Taste of Ashland pairs food and wine at galleries Third Fridays celebrates poetry, student art 'BRAND,' 'Western' among Ashland Independent Film Festival award winners Ashland Co-Dependent Film Festival 2015 Pear Blossom Festival kicks off in Medford Dining Have you wandered down the Bear Creek Wine Trail yet? Restaurant inspections: April 19, 2015 Siam Cafe offers 'mild' to 'very spicy' Thai cuisine Restaurant inspections, April 12, 2015 La Tapatia offers authentically delicious cuisine Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Teenager struck, killed by car ... Our View: Raises for Jackson County officials — again ... Medford, Talent language groups hope to attract Spanish speakers ... Teenager struck, killed by car ... Our View: Raises for Jackson County officials — again ... Medford, Talent language groups hope to attract Spanish speakers ... 'E-waste' recycling on the rise in Jackson Co. Oregon's 2010 ban on disposal of tech items has produced the desired result The recycling of electronic waste is reaching new highs every year, mainly because new gadgets are being invented so fast that people just get rid of their old ones. Comment By JOHN DARLING MailTribune.com By JOHN DARLING Posted Mar. 31, 2014 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 31, 2014 at 2:30 AM By JOHN DARLING Posted Mar. 31, 2014 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 31, 2014 at 2:30 AM ECS Refining, 407 Boardman St., Medford; 541-77... --> Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 2233 S. Pacific Highway, Medford; 541-773-9095. Drop-off computers, monitors, TVs, no fee. Itrex, LLC, 6445 Crater Lake Highway, Central Point; 541-826-8226... » Read more X ECS Refining, 407 Boardman St., Medford; 541-772-8023. Call for services; accepts all types of electronics. Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 2233 S. Pacific Highway, Medford; 541-773-9095. Drop-off computers, monitors, TVs, no fee. Itrex, LLC, 6445 Crater Lake Highway, Central Point; 541-826-8226. Accepts numerous electronics; no fee; may pick up. Recology Ashland Sanitary Service, Valley View Transfer Station, Ashland; 541-482-1471. Drop-off computers, monitors, TVs and other small electronics; no fee. Rogue Disposal & Recycling, 8001 Table Rock Road, White City; 541-779-4161. Curbside collection service or drop off at 8001 Table Rock Road. Southern Oregon Aspire, 1990 N.W. Washington Blvd, Grants Pass; 541-472-9300. Drop off electronics and computers; no fee. Southern Oregon Goodwill, 639 Tolman Creek Road, Ashland, 541-482-1363; Medford Donation Center, 605 N. Fir St., 541-772-3300; Central Point retail, 1249 Plaza Blvd., No. C, Central Point, 541-665-0025. Drop off computers, monitors, TVs; no fee. Staples, 45 E. Stewart Ave., Medford; 541-774-9919. Call for items and fees. » Social News The recycling of electronic waste is reaching new highs every year, mainly because new gadgets are being invented so fast that people just get rid of their old ones. In 2010, Oregon made it illegal to toss e-waste into landfills, which spurred even more recycling here, and today there are lots of drop spots around Jackson County for e-junk. But because of privacy concerns, none of it actually gets reused in its present form, says Denise Barnes of Rogue Disposal & Recycling. "It all gets refined back into raw materials," says Barnes, who is program director of Jackson County Recycling Partnership. "TVs, computer monitors, computer towers are illegal in landfills. Fax machines and printers are being used less and less, so we're getting more of them dropped off." The problem of identity theft has left recyclers no option but to "grind it all back into raw materials," she says. "Everything has a hard drive now — printers, faxes — so no one reuses anything, even though a lot of it still works." Why are people tossing e-gadgets that still work? Very simple: They keep coming out with more and cooler gadgets, and everyone has to have them, says Curt Spivey, general manager of ECS Refining in Medford. ECS gets paid to collect and process e-junk via a recycling fee paid by manufacturers. After processing, Spivey says, they sell the raw materials on the market. Televisions make up 70 percent of all e-waste by weight, Spivey says. "But now, we're seeing a lot of flat screens, phones and iPads, so the weight of e-waste (per person) is going down, but the device count is going up. "We see everything coming in now. What were the coolest things three years ago are now garbage. Everyone wants the next greatest thing." When the "land ban" — no e-waste in landfills — went into effect in January 2010, the tonnage of e-junk skyrocketed, says Barnes. Some 454 tons were dropped at Rogue Disposal in 2010, and it climbed by 243 tons to 697 tons in 2013. For the county as a whole, e-waste climbed from 932 tons in 2011 to 1,773 tons in 2012, a jump of 841 tons in a year, she adds. "A lot of it is awareness," Barnes says. "It's stuff they may have been holding on to in the garage or attic, but people are pretty well tuned in now, and they know it's free and that it can't go in the garbage anymore." The recycling of e-waste in Oregon took a big 27 percent jump in 2010, then steadied off at a 5 to 7 percent annual increase. Many states don't have land bans like Oregon, so their e-junk still finds its way — with hard drives intact — to toxic e-processing mills in China and Africa, says Spivey. "An old TV monitor has five pounds of lead in the glass," she says. "It can leach from landfills into the water table, and it exposes workers to horrible conditions." Spivey says 100 percent of the e-waste they get is processed into raw materials, "and you can't get data from raw materials. Hard drives are the big, scary issue, because data is on everything, and identity theft is so pervasive. We don't mess around with" any e-parts. In a report to the Legislature, Oregon E-Cycles, a division of the Department of Environmental Quality, reports that 27.7 million pounds of e-waste were recycled in 2013. Since 2009, it says, the program has saved the equivalent of 14 million gallons of gasoline. The net greenhouse gas reductions equal 141,500 tons of carbon dioxide, or the elimination of 30,500 cars a year. DEQ, which inspects collection and recycling sites, says the number of collection spots statewide has gone up 37 percent since 2009. John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Email him at [email protected]. By JOHN DARLING MailTribune.com By JOHN DARLING Posted Mar. 31, 2014 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 31, 2014 at 2:30 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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