When it comes to recycling old and broken-down computers and other electronic devices, the rest of Oregon might take a cue from the “green” folks of Lane County.

The state Department of Environmental Quality on Wednesday reported that the Oregon Electronics Recycling Program — Oregon E-Cycles, for short — collected and recycled 27.7 million pounds of electronic devices in 2013. That’s up nearly 4 percent from the 26.7 million pounds collected in 2012.

That modest percentage increase might generate a “big whoop” from Lane County residents, who by themselves were responsible for 3.72 million pounds — a whopping 27 percent increase over the 2.92 million pounds they contributed in 2012.

The reported increase doesn’t surprise Sarah Grimm, Lane County’s waste reduction specialist.

“Lane County citizens are really resourceful, and have an ethic toward reuse” of materials, Grimm said. Also, “We have a very aggressive public relations program.”

The amount of old computers, monitors and TV sets collected within Lane County increased last year even though the numbers dropped at the county’s waste collection sites — 690,000 pounds last year vs. 795,000 pounds in 2012.

That decline came even though the county last year added one more collection site where old computers can be dropped off — in Oakridge — in addition to the sites already accepting such devices at Glenwood, Florence, Veneta, Cottage Grove and Vida.

The overall net increase likely reflects that more people in Lane County are choosing among a growing number of other commercial or nonprofit outlets where they can drop off their old computers, Grimm said.

Statewide, there are now more than 300 official Oregon E-Cycle collection locations — an increase of more than 37 percent compared to when the program first got underway in 2009. There are more than a dozen such sites in the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area alone.

Michelle Martin, a materials management specialist with the DEQ, said the collection locations have grown “for maximum convenience,” and that Oregon E-Cycles has proven itself “a successful product stewardship program.”

Since the program’s start, Oregon E-Cycles has collected 123.5 million pounds of electronics for recycling and 158,335 units for reuse, Martin said. By DEQ estimates, that translates into greenhouse gas reductions of about 141,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalant — comparable to the benefit of eliminating tailpipe emissions from more than 30,000 passenger cars for one year.

Martin said the state is excited about expanding the program in January, when it will also start accepting printers and computer “peripherals” such as keyboards and mice.

Despite all the progress, Lane County’s Grimm said she’s a little shocked that some people are still unaware that computers and other electronic devices are banned from landfills.

“It’s important that people understand that banned items really should feed into our economic development” by being dropped off at sites where they can be recycled or reused, she said.

Another way citizens can help the economy, and the environment, is to buy electronic devices built of the least toxic and most durable materials, Grimm said. Consumers can look for products that meet the standards of a federal program called EPEAT — the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool.

“It’s a way for citizens who care, to make their purchase last longer and not become garbage,” she said.