LG Electronics Presents 9NEWS Live Green Electronics Recycling Event

Generous support provided by Comcast, Waste Management, and the City and County of Denver

DENVER, March 3 /PRNewswire/ — 9NEWS and LG Electronics, in cooperation with Comcast, Waste Management, and the City and County of Denver have teamed up to host a FREE recycling event for area residents on Saturday, March 7. The event will run from 7 a.m. to noon at five area locations:

• Denver: The Pepsi Center – 1000 Chopper Circle, 80204
• Aurora: Town Center at Aurora – 14200 E. Alameda Avenue, 80012
• Littleton: Southwest Plaza – 8501 W. Bowles Avenue, 80123
• Englewood: Comcast – 183 Inverness Drive West, 80112
• Broomfield: The Orchard Town Center – 14697 Delaware Street, 80023

“LG Electronics is taking a proactive approach to the issue of electronic products by offering a free, collection and recycling program to the public,” said Timothy McGrady, environmental manager for LG Electronics USA, Inc. “We encourage consumers to dispose of unwanted electronics in an environmentally responsible manner. This reflects our larger global sustainability initiative that focuses on energy conservation, reduction of hazardous substances and responsible product designs.”

Television stations will transition from broadcasting on analog airwaves to digital on June 12, 2009. When this happens, Americans who currently receive analog television broadcasts over the air via antennas may upgrade their current television to a digital television or purchase an analog-to-digital converter box. For those households that purchase new HDTVs, LG Electronics, 9NEWS, Comcast, Waste Management, and the City of Denver are offering residents a convenient way to recycle their old televisions.

Consumers can also drop off any brand of household consumer electronics, including televisions, computer monitors, computer systems, VCRs, DVDs, phones, stereos, cables, computer mice, laptops, printers, scanners, fax machines, keyboards, UPS, rechargeable batteries, routers, hubs, switches, PDAs, GPS units, and cell phones. Business generated electronic waste will not be accepted. All items will be recycled in an environmentally responsible manner through LG Electronics recycling partner, Waste Management.

“We’re pleased 9NEWS can participate in an event that safely and responsibly disposes of outdated or nonfunctioning electronics,” said 9NEWS president and general manager, Mark Cornetta. “The heavy metals and other components from those electronics certainly don’t belong in our local landfills.”

Cornetta adds one important reminder, “We want to make sure people know that if they have working analog televisions they no longer want or need, the best thing they can do is to donate them to their favorite local charity instead of throwing them away. Somebody can really benefit from that kind of contribution.”

Electronic materials can contain toxic materials such as lead, mercury, beryllium and other elements that if improperly handled are dangerous to people and the environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 82 percent of the 2.25 million tons of old TVs, cell phones, and computer products generated in the last two years has ended up in landfills. By recycling old electronics products, useful materials – such as glass, plastic and metals – can be collected and re-used in the manufacture of other products.

“As we continue to innovate and deliver advanced entertainment services such as VOD and HDTV, we want to partner with consumers to help them responsibly recycle their old technology when they embrace the new,” said Scott Binder, senior vice president of Comcast Colorado. “We’re proud to support the Live Green Electronics Recycling Event as this initiative is a natural extension of our local efforts to implement programs that make a positive and lasting impact on our communities.”

“Responsible recycling of our electronic waste saves energy and other valuable resources and is important to keeping Denver a healthy, sustainable community. We are pleased to partner with LG Electronics, 9NEWS, Comcast and Waste Management to offer residents this rare opportunity to recycle electronic waste at no charge to them,” said Mayor John Hickenlooper.

“We know consumers want to be assured that their electronic products are disposed of safely,” stated Chad Miller of Waste Management of Colorado. “Our commitment to the BAN e-Stewards Pledge demonstrates our dedication to environmentally responsible practices.”

In September 2008, Waste Management committed to adopt the Electronics Recycler’s Pledge of True Stewardship for the dismantling and recycling of electronics waste. Signatory companies of the pledge are required, among other things, to prevent hazardous electronics waste from entering municipal incinerators or landfills; to prevent the export of such electronics waste to developing countries; and to provide visible tracking of e-waste throughout the product recycling chain. The pledge confirms that the company will conduct its eCycling programs transparently and in accord with rigorous environmental and worker safety standards.

Waste Management’s recycling plants, including its Denver facility, are both ISO 9001:2000 and 14001:1996 certificated.

The event will run from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 7. For more information and for a list of locations, please visit: www.9news.com, and click on the Live Green link.

SOURCE Comcast