WV Goodwill Office Introduces E-Recycling

Goodwill Industries of KYOWVA Area Inc., Huntington. WV, has started eCycle, a free electronic drop-off program for recycling and hard-drive cleansing of unwanted computers.

"In the United States, some 100 million computers, monitors and other kinds of electronic equipment become obsolete annually," says Carter Seaton, Goodwill's marketing director. "Each discarded computer contains about four pounds of lead, much of which leaches into the ground and water supply. In addition to lead, electronics can contain chromium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, nickel, zinc, and dangerous flame retardants. When electronics are not disposed of or recycled properly, these toxic materials can present serious environmental problems."

With the launch of eCycle, Goodwill now accepts all nonworking or outdated computers and components, printers, scanners or fax machines and cell phones at each of its retail stores and donation centers or at the Industrial Contracts Center.

"Donors do not need to worry about leaving personal information behind, either," Seaton says. "At the camera-monitored, secure facility, trained workers sort and evaluate the donated equipment. Computers that meet minimum standards will be refurbished if possible -- with the hard drives wiped clean -- and then resold in a Goodwill retail store where the proceeds support Goodwill's job training and placement programs."

If the computer can't be refurbished, workers will clean its hard drive, de-manufacture the equipment, sort the component parts and prepare them for recycling. Each donor may request a certificate verifying that the donated hard-drive has been cleaned to the Department of Defense wiping standards to remove all sensitive or personal material.