MADISON, Wis. -- That old television, VCR or computer sitting in a basement or attic is known as electronic waste, or e-waste, and it's the fastest-growing type of waste generated in the U.S. today. So where does it go when it's recycled?

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A local company is leading the way in making the most of consumer electronic items that are no longer of use.

A forklift load of material lands at the dock at the Cascade Asset Management warehouse, and this scene is repeated day in and day out as so-called e-waste arrives from around the globe for recycling.

James Windisch, the director of operations for Cascade, said that the company recycles a lot of different types of items.

"If it's got a plug or a battery and it's not an appliance, we'll recycle it," he said.

Cascade Asset Management has the capacity to handle 1 million pounds of electronic equipment a month, which is the equivalent of 10,000 big-screen televisions.

Windisch said that it's just the tip of the iceberg. The company handles information technology material from national and international companies and municipalities, including Madison. The goal is to give new life to nearly everything stacked floor-to-ceiling in the massive warehouse, WISC-TV reported.

"So, anything from plastics to circuit boards, cabling, we're going to find a secondary re-use for it and if we can't we're going to spend time to research markets where we can," he said.

A TV monitor, for example, holds a wealth of valuable material, such as copper, gold, aluminum. Those metals are extracted and sent to various processors for recycling.

"So, for example, the plastic will be made into recyclable deck board, toilet seats. The circuit boards will be sent to a smelter who is going to recover copper, aluminum and gold out of it," Windisch said.

Not everything is torn apart bit-by-bit and recycled. Many of the computers that pass through Cascade are simply refurbished and find new homes overseas. Officials said that all identifying material inside and out are destroyed:

"We're not going to be sending this out there in the world, and the person who buys it won't be able to know where it came from," said Kevin Myrant, Cascade's security manager.

They said that hard drives are wiped clean of any information as well. If they can't be, officials said that the drives are sent into the shredder.

With the consumer and corporation technology markets exploding, the shredder and e-waste recyclers look to be very busy now and in the decades ahead.

People can't take their e-waste directly to Cascade. Residents are instead asked to check with their local municipality. In Madison, for example, officials will now accept e-waste year-round for a small fee.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Mark Miller, of Monona, is working to keep e-waste out of landfills. He's introduced legislation and said that he hopes to get it passed before the Federal Communications Commission mandate turns analog signals off and digital on.

The switchover in February 2009 will dramatically increase television e-waste.

Miller said that his bill will protect human health and the environment.

"It's valuable," he said. "B, it's toxic. C, it takes up a lot of volume, especially these tubes. It shouldn't be going into our limited landfills. We should be recovering the valuable materials, and we should be keeping the toxic stuff from going into the waste stream."

There's overwhelming support for Miller's bill in the Senate, where it passed on a 30-3 vote.

However, the legislative session ended before it could see further action.

For More Info:

For basic information about electronic waste, how and where to recycle it at this EPA Web site
For information about digital television transition and how to extend the life of an analog TV set or recycle it, visit this EPA Web site
The city of Madison now has a year-round drop off recycling of computers, TVs and consumer electronics. They aren't accepted at the curb. Visit Madison computer pickup Web site
To learn more about state Sen. Mark Miller's proposal to keep e-waste out of Wisconsin landfills, visit here