EcoATM to expand e-scrap collection

Outerwall, based in Bellevue, Washington, which operates various kiosk-based businesses at shopping centers throughout the United States, has announced plans to collect at least 2 million pounds of mobile phones, tablets and other devices and accessories over the next three years through its ecoATM recycling kiosks. The announcement was made at the Clinton Global Initiative’s 10th Annual Meeting.

In addition to ecoATM, Outerwall owns Redbox and Coinstar.

Through about 1,100 ecoATM kiosks located at shopping centers and retailers throughout the country, the company collects obsolete electronics from the general public. Through the kiosks, ecoATM identifies, evaluates, prices and accepts devices of any era or condition and uses a worldwide auction system to offer consumers competitive prices, ranging from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. The company notes that it holds both Responsible Recycling Practices (R2) and ISO 14001 certification.

The company says it is able to find a second life for about 75 percent of the devices collected. For the other 25 percent of the collected electronics, Outerwall works with certified electronic scrap recycling facilities to ensure the materials are responsibly reused and recycled.

“We can all make a tremendous impact if each person commits to reducing their personal e-waste footprint,” says J. Scott Di Valerio, CEO of Outerwall. “EcoATM was created to make it easy and rewarding for people to sell their devices for reuse and recycle.”