Where does one recycle solar panels in California — business or residential? That’s a good question.   Hopefully, soon there will be an answer.  The state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) held a hearing in October to discuss the possibility of regulating the handling and disposal of used solar panels the same way the state regulates cathode ray tubes (CRTs) and batteries.  However, some enviromental groups are saying those regulations aren’t stringent enough.

According to Chris Clarke in an article published by ReWire on September 28, 2012, “many photovoltaic panels contain substances that pose a risk to the environment, especially thin-film solar cells based on a cadmium telluride photovoltaic element. Cadmium, a metallic element, may pose a serious health risk in ingested or inhaled, and without the change in regulations by the DTSC, used cadmium telluride PV cells may well qualify as toxic waste under existing state law.

DTSC’s proposed regulations would basically add used or waste solar photovoltaic panels to the broad category of potentially toxic or hazardous products commonly known as “e-waste,” which now includes batteries, CRT monitors, and some electronics. Adding PV panels to the e-waste category would exempt them from somewhat stricter regulations under state hazardous waste laws.

But others disagree. In formal comments submitted to the DTSC, the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) — a non-profit that has been working to limit pollution from California’s tech sector since 1982  — argued that DTSC hasn’t been managing e-waste stringently enough as it is, and that adding PV panels to the category would mean laxer regulation of the hazards the panels might pose to workers, the public, and the environment.The group also stated that DTSC lacks the regulatory authority to establish an effective PV panel recycling infrastructure for the state, and that without an efficient way to recycle the panels, Californians will have 900,000 pounds of cadmium on their collective hands and no way to deal with it short of sequestering it in hazardous waste facilities.

SVTC also holds that the state should identify who will pay for such a PV program, require labeling of PV components that may be hazardous, and include PV panels discarded by households in any set of regulations.”

Although the hearing was held in October, the decision as to what to do with solar panels in California has not yet been made.  Responsible recyclers are eagerly awaiting the decision in an effort to provide solar panel recycling to consumers throughout California.

National Protect Your Identity Week is a reminder of how easy your identity can be compromised and the importance of shredding documents and hard drives.  The highly anticipated Shred-A-Thon & eWaste Recycling Event will take place in Silicon Valley on Saturday, October 13th from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the Century Theater Parking Lot (Corner of Winchester Boulevard & Olsen Drive). Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country, this event coincides with the National Protect Your Identity Week and aims to safely and securely dispose of all personal documents and electronic waste to protect the identity of residents.

This event is free and open to the public, and is a drive-through shredding and eWaste collection service designed for your convenience. Co-sponsors of the event include Cintas Document Services and GreenMouse Recycling in collaboration with a wide variety of other governmental agencies including the Santa Clara County District Attorney and the City’s Police and Transportation Departments. Join me and District Attorney Jeff Rosen in protecting our identities and preventing identity theft!

According to CalRecycle, the State of California’s leading authority on recycling, waste reduction, and product reuse, ”used motor oil never wears out? It just gets dirty and can be recycled, cleaned, and used again. Recycling used motor oil conserves a natural resource (oil) and is good for the environment too! Motor oil poured onto the ground or into storm drains, or tossed into trash cans (even in a sealed container) can contaminate and pollute the soil, groundwater, streams, and rivers. Recycling your used motor oil reduces this pollution threat. When you take your used oil to a certified center for recycling, you are protecting the environment, conserving a valuable resource, and getting paid for it.”

If you live in California, taking your used motor oil to a certified recycling center means keeping oil from being tossed into storm drains or trash cans AND getting paid 40 cents a gallon.  Most centers will take up to 5 gallons at a time. However, the collection centers will not accept used oil that has been contaminated with other fluids such as antifreeze, gasoline, or water. If the used oil is contaminated, a certified center manager can tell you where to take it for proper recycling.

To locate a used oil recycling center in California visit:  http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/, where you can search by city, county, or zip code.  You can also call the Earth’s 911 hotline (1-800-CLEANUP).