he alarm clock buzzes at 6 a.m. The computer reminds you of your 9:30 meeting. Your cell phone rings at 10 a.m. and, by noon, you're warming soup in the microwave.

It's an electronic world, and you're just living in it.

"More and more people recognize the amount of electronics they own," said Sandra Boggs, recycling and marketing development specialist with the Department of Environmental Quality. "They know they're paying good money for these things, which ultimately end up in the landfill. I think they want to see some value come from them."

To help consumers recover the value of defunct electronics, the state and a group of local organizations, including SAVE, are hosting an electronics recycling drive Friday and Saturday in Helena.

Last year's event, sponsored by Staples, was the state's first push to make better use of e-waste. More than 335,000 pounds of electronic material was recovered statewide during the drive. Helena collected 23,000 pounds and Missoula gathered 12,000 pounds. Bozeman topped the charts at 236,000 pounds.

Consumers deposited the materials despite a small collection fee. Boggs said the fee will remain in place this year, the amount depending on the items being recycled.

Dropping off a smoke detector or calculator will cost $1. Printers and 15-inch monitors will cost $3. Laptops and old computers are free, but old speakers and vacuum cleaners will cost around $7.

"Even though it's catching on and the materials are gaining in value, we haven't quite reached the point where recyclers can recover their money from selling their recycled material," Boggs said. "So the fees go toward the actual recycling. It pays for transportation. The e-waste is taken apart by hand, screw by screw. There's labor involved."

According to the Department of Environmental Quality, most electronic devices contain small amounts of hazardous chemicals, including lead, cadmium, mercury and barium. The cumulative impact on the environment is potentially substantial, considering consumer's growing dependence on electronic items.

But diverting electronics from landfills and recycling the toxic materials -- placing them into new products -- has proven effective in protecting the environment. It also reduces the need to extract raw materials, and it extends the life of the nation's landfills.

"We definitely see things that could be recycled," said Sherrel Rhys, manager of the Lewis and Clark County Landfill. "There hasn't been a very good option for recycling in the past, but we're starting to see new options."

Companies like Staples and Dell are beginning to offer recycling as part of their service. Local landfills, along with the city and county, contribute financially by helping sponsor e-waste drives.

Rhys said the Lewis and Clark County Landfill was designed to last 50 years. However, she said, efforts are being made to extend the landfill's life to 75 years by making better use of existing space, and by pushing for better recycling.

"There are a lot of people working on increasing the recycling," Rhys said. "Some things are easier to recycle, like newspaper, cardboard and aluminum. There are good markets for those, so they're easier and more cost effective to recycle. With other things, the markets are just developing, like plastics and computers."

According to the EPA, the cathode ray tubes, which produce the images seen on TVs, computer monitors and gaming machines, each contain an average of 4 pounds of lead. The EPA is developing regulations to promote the recycling of lead as a hazardous waste and to keep cathode tubes from the nation's landfills.

In 1984, less than 150 million electronic units were shipped nationwide. By 1999, that number had jumped to 400 million and continues to soar. The numbers aren't available for Montana alone, but even so, the state currently lacks legislation requiring the recycling of electronic equipment, or banning electronics from landfills.

"The rapid growth of consumer electronic sales over the last 15 years, and the relatively short life of these products, has led to their increasing numbers in the waste stream," the EPA reported back in 1999. "Electronics contain valuable components that can be reused and materials that can be recycled."

The e-waste drive takes place Oct. 12 from 3-7 p.m. and and Oct. 13 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kmart parking lot.

Reporter Martin Kidston: 447-4086 or mkidston@helenair.com