Electronics Recycled, and There is No Charge
By Andrew Rafferty, The Buffalo News, N.Y.
Jun. 8–People were saving money, storage space and the environment Saturday, as 280 cars rolled up to Stereo Advantage in Amherst to recycle old computers, TVs, VCRs and anything else electronic.
The event, which continues from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. today, is part of Sony’s Take Back Recycling Program, in collaboration with Waste Management. Through Saturday, one and a half tractor-trailers were stuffed with different brands of unused electronics, and three more are standing by ready to be filled.
Mike Jurkowski, of Amherst, said he has some more storage space after dropping off his old monitor and printer.
“It’s not going to be used anytime soon,” he said. “I really could use the space in the garage.”
For Mark Walsh, dropping off his old printer was a chance to help the environment.
“I try to make a conscious effort and try to recycle whenever I can,” the East Amherst resident said.
Al Walters, CEO of Stereo Advantage, said the event helps both consumers and the environment.
“It’s not free to recycle products — it costs money,” he said. “So we’re giving people the opportunity to do it for free. It’s a good community thing to do, certainly better than having it end up in the garbage.”
The electronic items will be shipped to Springfield, Mass., where they will be dismantled and recycled for new products.
Simply throwing out old electronics can be especially dangerous. Many contain lead, mercury, phosphorus or other elements that can be harmful to the environment.
“You don’t want anything getting into your ground water,” said Jensen Kroll, account manager for Waste Management’s electronics division. Kroll helps out with Sony’s recycling events throughout the East Coast.
“Everything has an end market, the plastics, the metals,” Kroll said.
Sony began the Take Back Recycling Program in September as a way to entice people not to trash old and unused electronics.
“We want to make it as easy to recycle as it is to purchase,” said Doug Smith, Sony’s director of corporate environmental affairs.
The drives aren’t meant to be weekend events but permanent solutions. Even after this weekend, a waste site at 72 Mechanic St., North Tonawanda, will accept Sony products to recycle for free. To recycle non- Sony products will come at a cost.
“This is the type of model we would like to see proliferate,” Smith said of Stereo Advantage’s event. “We have a model retailer, which will drive people to the store as well as get old electronics back.”
arafferty@buffnews.com
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