Peace of Mind for Proper Disposal of Electronics

Do your residents have a plan for the proper disposal of electronics? The majority of electronics are not able to be processed by typical recycling facilities and/or placed in landfills due to the batteries, lead, and other materials that would lead to environmental harm. Illegal dumping remains a huge problem for communities in Western Pennsylvania, as residents are unsure of the recycling protocols and/or the location or electronics disposal facilities. 

Three Allegheny County municipalities have figured out solutions to this recycling dilemma: asset management. Munhall, Wilkinsburg, and West Mifflin are three different communities with a common quandary: what should their residents do with electronic waste? In some of the communities, residents were calling on the municipality to find a solution and in others, residents were taking matters into their own hands and tossing the waste illegally over the hillside.  Working with eLoop llc, an IT lifecycle management company, these municipalities were each able to find a unique process to address the issue. 

Munhall has a scheduled system where their public works staff finds and collects e-waste and Wilkinsburg has  set up one-day collection events managed by their public works staff to collect electronic waste. West Mifflin has adopted a paid sticker identification system with curbside pickup. Once collected and picked up by eLoop IIc, the materials are wiped clean of data or potential information on the devices. The electronics are then disassembled into production grade materials and resold once vetted. 

Through asset management organizations like eLoop llc, communities are finding e-waste solutions and peace of mind for the proper erasure of data and redistribution of materials. Partnering with the Pennsylvania Resources Council, eLoop llc is hosting four e-waste collection dates for all Southwestern PA communities: May 9th at Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, June 20th at Bethel Park High School, July 25th at La Roche University, and October 3rd at Settlers Cabin Park Wave Pool parking lot.

Want more information? Learn more about starting an e-waste program for your municipality at eloopllc.com or check out these helpful resources on personal data destruction and eWaste recycling. 

Ned Eldridge, CEO of eLoop LLC, participates in the CEOs for Sustainability executive council.