Towers of televisions. Piles of PCs.

The hundreds of thousands of pounds of discarded electronics collected this year at Dakota County's Recycling Zone already have exceeded last year's total numbers -- mainly, an official says, because it's free again.

Residents of Dakota County have been able to drop off their old and obsolete electronics at the Eagan location since 2003. While the county stopped charging for the service in the fall of 2007, to coincide with recently passed e-waste regulations, last year recyclers had to pay 35 cents per pound to recycle electronics.

It may not sound like a lot, but it made a difference, said Laura Villa, senior environmental specialist for the county. People started abandoning their old electronics so they wouldn't have to fork over money, she said.

"They just didn't want to pay," Villa said. "They would leave it out here in front of the Recycling Zone after hours. They would leave it out on the side of the roads."

After the county shifted some funds from another waste program, the zone is free again.

And recycling is up.

The facility already has collected more than 700,000 pounds of electronics this year, which is more than the 600,000 pounds it collected all of last year, Villa said.

"We didn't want this kind of start, stop," she said. "We knew that once people get used to it [being free], it's very hard to take it away."

Ed Rarick, 59, of Eagan, brought in a couple of computer towers and printers last week, a haul that could have cost him upwards of $50 at another facility, he said.

"They've been sitting in the garage and taking up space so I just decided to do it today," he said. "We have new computers."

As long as people continue to update their gadgets, e-recycling will be necessary, Villa said.

"Many people have several televisions, computers, VCRs, gaming systems. We all do," she said. "And people are constantly getting new ones so there's going to be a continual need for recycling."

Some electronics can contain materials such as cadmium, mercury and lead that could be harmful to the environment if thrown in a landfill. Minnesota, along with many other states, has laws that require the recycling of electronics such as televisions and computers.

There was a big push to promote recycling after new e-recycling laws were passed in Minnesota, said Garth Hickle, product stewardship team leader with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The response in the first fiscal year was overwhelming, Hickle said. The state generated about 33 million pounds of recycled electronics, more than double the amount that was required by law, he said.

"Given the recycling volume, we feel that that's a pretty good reflection of people doing the right thing," Hickle said.

There are now fewer free options, but some counties, such as Dakota, Hennepin and Washington, still recycle electronics for free, he said. Counties are not required to provide free e-recycling services, he said.

A report by the MPCA about state e-recycling is due to the Legislature in December.

Nicole Norfleet • 612-673-4495