What to do with that bulky, outdated television or computer seems to be a question more and more Butler County residents are confronting as e-waste and recycling programs try to accommodate the thousands of items amounting to tons of electronic material.

But the issue isn’t as simple as sending your unwanted electronics to the landfill or recycling center anymore.

Because of state laws regulating how some electronic items are handled after disposal, it’s not free to get rid of your old television or computer. For most residents, it can cost as much as 45 cents per pound to recycle the items.

County officials sponsor a monthly hazardous waste and electronics collections that requires people to make an appointment to participate in. Information for those events is online at http://www.co.butler.pa.us/recycling-waste-management.

Act 108 went into effect in 2012 and instituted a disposal ban on “covered devices” in 2013. That covers items like televisions and computers, and makes throwing them in landfills or solid waste disposal facilities illegal because of hazardous chemicals in the devices that might leech into the ground.

The county and some municipalities in county contract with Cochranton-based ECS & R, an environmental coordination services and recycling firm that runs its appointment-based collection service on Ash Stop Road in Evans City. It has special collection days promoted by government officials in some municipalities.

For example, Butler Township is working to plan a collection at its township building on July 9, though township manager Ed Kirkwood stressed that the event still needs state approval.

The township contracts with ECS & R to host e-waste and hazardous waste collection days once a year since there is a need in the community, Kirkwood said.

The municipality subsidizes about half the cost of getting rid of “covered devices,” meaning residents only pay 25 cents per pound, rather than the full 45 cents it would normally cost them to dispose of the items.

“We’ve had overwhelming success,” Kirkwood said. “It’s amazing how many people actually sign up to participate in this program.”

Organizers in general say these events have proven popular with residents.

Slippery Rock University reported that more than 400 people dropped off at least 2,500 e-waste items at the school’s fourth annual Electronic Waste Recycling Days on April 22-23.

The materials will be processed by “environment health and safety” means and hauled away by Maven Technologies, before being used for different purposes such as a secondhand cell phone initiative called the Hope Phone Program, which makes the phones available to people in Africa.

“Too often folks illegally dump (e-waste) in a field or pitch them in a ditch,” SRU said in a press release on the event. “This event was a great public service and the public responded in kind.”

People improperly disposing of e-waste is a problem facing Butler as well, said John Evans, city zoning and code enforcement officer. He said the issue is arising because people don’t understand the law regarding items like televisions and computers.

“It’s a huge problem. We’re sending out two or three letters a week,” Evans said. “People don’t realize that the garbage man won’t pick these things up — especially the TVs — so they’re just sitting at the curb.”

That problem may have found a solution Thursday night, when city council voted to schedule electronic waste and hazardous materials collection days in the parking lot adjacent to the city building. Evans said the city was working with ECS & R on the events, and he hopes they will provide an outlet for people to get rid of old electronics.

“I’m sure these things are ending up in people’s basements because there’s really no place locally to take these things,” Evans said.

The issue has prompted Cranberry Township officials to respond as well, said township manager Jerry Andree. He said the municipality hosts three or four e-waste collection days each year.

Two weeks ago, at its latest event, the township had 432 cars drop off 28,437 pounds of electronic recyclables, Andree said.

The township works with Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Pennsylvania to collect unwanted electronics.

Andree said the township, as well, sees the biggest issue being old televisions, but says that in general he sees the events as an interesting comment on how peoples’ view of electronics has changed.

“We’re seeing all kinds of things,” Andree said. “What we find interesting is the number of laptops that are coming onto the recycling streams. It really demonstrates how electronics have really become a throwaway item.”