SPRINGFIELD - When state officials inked a contract with a Moline computer company, the idea was to make sure old computers were wiped clean of private or potentially valuable data.

But there's been a side benefit to the nearly $1 million deal.

Since launching in April 2007, state officials say the program has kept an estimated 500 tons of potentially toxic electronic waste out of Illinois landfills.

The state's recycling venture comes as studies show many Americans are hoarding electronic waste, mainly because they are not sure what to do with it.

William Bullock, an industrial design professor at University of Illinois, suggested recently that 2.5 million tons of electronic waste is discarded in U.S. landfills each year, rather than sent out for recycling.

Much more could be dumped if people start purging their closets of old computers.

The Illinois program was put together after state auditors found that some state-owned computers had been scrapped without undergoing a data-stripping process. The concern: What if sensitive information about Illinois citizens got into the wrong hands?

In March 2007, the Illinois Department of Central Management Services contracted with Premier Computer Services to collect old computers, printers and monitors from throughout the state.

The e-waste is hauled back to Moline where it is either refurbished or taken apart and sold for scrap.

The contract calls for the company to receive up to $975,000 over the course of a three year deal. Some of that money, however, is recovered by the state, according to figures released last week.

For example, CMS reports note that of the estimated $570,000 paid to Premier last fiscal year, the state has recouped about $152,000 through the sale of the refurbished computers, printers and other related equipment.

Among items sold as surplus state property were 222 personal computers, 105 laptop computers and 40 printers.

"It's been a pretty successful program," said CMS spokeswoman Alka Nayyar.

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Recycling electronics

Where to recycle

Electronics and associated materials may be dropped off from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Normal Public Works Garage, 1301 Warriner St., Normal.

Items are taken to Recycling for Illinois of Peoria to be refurbished and given to low-income people with disabilities.

What to recycle

The center accepts:

- Computers, monitors, televisions, copiers, phone systems, all types of radios, VCRs, microwaves, cameras, blenders, and other small appliances.

- All forms of electronic media and their cases: diskettes, zip disks, CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVDs et al, video tape (i.e. VHS), audio tape, game cartridges, DAT, DLT, Beta or Digibeta

- All forms of printer cartridges

- All types of cell phones, pagers, PDAs, MP3 players and digital cameras

- All types of rechargeable batteries and their chargers

SOURCE: Ecology Action Center Web site, www.ecologyactioncenter.org