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Kingston police investigating report of shots fired inside Pringle Street residence

Kosciusko Scholarship Dinner Dance approaching

<p>Would it be a good idea to &#8230;</p><p>&#8230; salvage the state&#8217;s flawed electronics recycling law before it results in the illegal dumping of TVs and computers?</p><p>Luzerne County, among many places in Pennsylvania, probably won&#8217;t offer its popular e-waste recycling program this year. Previously, county residents could go to either the Hanover Area Junior-Senior High School or a site in Butler Township on the appointed days to drop off unwanted laptops, cellphones and other gadgets.</p><p>A glut of the stuff, however, is causing many governments to scale back or cancel their collections.</p><p>Environmentally aware residents now find themselves caught in a pinch. Despite a 2010 state law that makes it illegal to dispose of televisions, computers and certain related components with household trash, people are finding fewer recycling options that allow them to comply with the rule.</p><p>Certain retailers stopped accepting the devices. Those that continue to take castoffs usually cut off their recycling programs after they have collected as much material, by weight, as they sell in a given year; since newer electronics typically are much lighter than the older models, the stores quickly meet their quotas. Meanwhile, changes in market conditions have discouraged many recycling firms from participating in community-wide collections.</p><p>Many state lawmakers know about the problem. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, an affiliate of the national neighborhood-improvement organization, has created an Internet site, at <a href="http://ewastepa.org/" target="_blank">ewastepa.org</a>, to encourage residents to voice their desire for a speedy remedy.</p><p>The law, intended to keep potentially harmful substances out of landfills and reclaim valuable metals, isn&#8217;t working today as intended. Until the regulation can be tweaked, residents should seek out e-recycling options on Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful&#8217;s site or at the Luzerne County Solid Waste Management&#8217;s <a href="http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/departments_agencies/solid_waste_management/special_collections_schedule" target="_blank">webpage on special collections</a>.</p><p>It&#8217;s a shame, especially with Earth Day only weeks away, that some people might be tempted to toss their items in fields and forests while lawmakers struggle with what to do. By one estimate, the percentage of Pennsylvanians with access to free e-cycling has dropped from 63 percent to 25, and the number continues to fall.</p><p>What&#8217;s the answer?</p><p>Give us your feedback by sending a letter to the editor or posting comments to this editorial at timesleader.com.</p><p>Likewise, tell us your ideas for improving the community and making area residents&#8217; lives better. Maybe we&#8217;ll spotlight your suggestion in a future editorial and ask readers, &#8220;Would it be a good idea to &#8230;&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County, among many places in Pennsylvania, probably won&#8217;t offer its popular electronics recycling program this year. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_Electronics.jpg</photo0><caption0>Luzerne County, among many places in Pennsylvania, probably won&#8217;t offer its popular electronics recycling program this year. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our Opinion: Electronics recycling law in Pennsylvania requires retuning