Electronic Waste Recycling Event
Waste Management, LG, Sony and Naperville District 203 students have partnered with Barretts Home Theater to host an electronics recycling event at Barretts Home Theater on Saturday October 25th 2008 from 10-4.
Joe Barrett, owner of Barretts Home Theater, says, “Our goal is to provide a channel for consumers to recycle equipment that would otherwise be thrown into landfills. This is a special event for community and our electronic industry now faced with stricter guidelines from the EPA for disposal of wastes. We’re hoping to set a standard of environmental consciousness.”
Waste Management (WM) will facilitate the actual recycling of the items dropped off with volunteer students from Naperville schools and company staff. WM Recycle America is the largest recycler in North America.
According to Matthew Coz, vice president of Growth and Commodity Sales of WM, “We hope to collect as much recyclable material as possible; it is our way of demonstrating a shared commitment with the community, by providing outstanding customer service and environmental stewardship.”
There has been concern related to what happens to the products once they are collected. Trained WM Recycle America employees collect, track and dismantle discarded electronic products under monitored conditions at one of their four disassembly centers in the U.S. The devices are broken down into their constituent metals, plastics and glass. These common raw materials are sorted by quality, and can then enter the general recycling system. Otherwise, if improperly managed, this waste can pose a threat to health and the environment.
In a recent report dated September 2008, the Government Accountability Office indicated that as much as 80% of our e-waste is sent to other countries for processing. This is a concern as some countries lack the necessary safety standards to protect workers and the environment.
We believe that reusing and recycling are the preferred methods of managing e-waste; by Barrett’s Home Theater partnering with Sony and LG, we can pledge our commitment to the environment and serve as a role models to other retailers both locally and nationally.
Coupons will be distributed to people who bring in their electronics worth up to $500. For more information please contact Barrett’s Home Theater at 630-898-2850.
By Dianne Barrett
