Tatooine Electronic Systems, named for Luke Skywalker's desert-like home planet, may be the only e-cycler in the U.S. to get a permit to dismantle and recycle used electronic equipment.
According to a recent story in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Tatooine did the unthinkable in Wyoming -- it asked the government to approve its operation before the bureaucrats came knocking. There were concerns at the proposed new building site about air and water contamination as computers and TVs are torn asunder. So the company's owner, Jeff Stumpf, consulted the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.
Given a permit to proceed by DEQ, Tatooine is now accepting e-waste from a four-state area. Employees break down the equipment into recycable components and then the waste is shipped elsewhere for final processing. A 7,000-square-foot facility will be built that will up the capacity from 8 tons per day to 120. There are other facilities like this in the U.S. But no other states require a permit.
I will have to admit that over the years, I have disposed of old computers the old-fashioned way -- in the dumpster. I also have done the same with TVs and stereos and monitors. I like the idea of taking these items to a place named after a fictional planet where the Jawa are the ultimate recyclers, and the Skywalker family business is "moisture farming."
My question: will Tataooine take my old console TV? It's a monster.
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