One of my neighbors discarded an old radio and a fan a couple of days ago. Soon the items were smashed to bits by someone who wanted copper scraps.
I have seen this happen before with television sets and computers left out on the curb. The first thing to go is the power cord.
Large-scale copper theft of wiring from power stations and plumbing from homes under construction has become a big problem nationwide. Our backyard scavengers just left a big mess behind, but people have set fires in landfills while burning coverings off copper wires.
On the large scale, copper theft has become important enough for the federal Department of Energy to publish a 25-page piece on its effect on utilities.
Union County will be taking part in a statewide electronics recycling collection program in 2011, according to this news article. Anything is apparently tempting to copper scavengers, even household castoffs. Maybe it is a sign of our still somewhat desperate economic times.
--Bernice
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