Do you have old computers, laptops, telephones or other electronic equipment sitting around your basement, garage, or dorm room? Have you been meaning to get rid of them but just haven’t found the time?
The University of Rochester and Brockport-based electronics recycler Sunnking are here to help. On Friday, October 30, 2009 from 6:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., you can bring your unwanted household electronics to Park Lot South for free, environmentally responsible disposal. If you’re a University of Rochester student or employee, you can bring anything from your old laptop to that broken digital camera to your children’s old remote control cars. Basically anything with a circuit board can be accepted. Computer peripherals like cables, wire, keyboards and mice will also be taken free of charge. remote controlPlease check the flyer below for a more complete list of accepted items, but if you’re not sure whether or not it can be accepted, bring it! However, please note that televisions, home appliances, and gas-powered equipment cannot be accepted.
If you’re not sure whether it’s worth the effort, consider this: many computers and monitors contain hazardous materials like lead and mercury that are actually illegal to dispose of with normal trash. Also, if you put your computer out on the side of the road, you risk identity thieves recovering sensitive information from its hard drive. However, if you bring it to this event, Sunnking will completely wipe the hard drive, meaning your personal information is safe. Plus, this event is completely free, saving you the service fees that many collection sites charge.
But what happens to all these electronics once they’ve been taken away? Sunnking determines which, if any components are still salvageable. So, for example, your old desktop’s video card may be dead, but that doesn’t mean its hard drive or microprocessor aren’t useful. Sunnking logoSunnking resells working components to electronics distributors, manufacturers, and to everyday people, and even reuses them in their own computers! For items that can’t be reused, any hazardous materials are removed and properly disposed of, and remaining elements like glass, plastics and metals are recycled in the typical fashion. And unlike some recyclers, Sunnking does not send any unprocessed, potentially toxic material overseas to developing countries.
To put some perspective on the environmental importance of electronics recycling, here is a quick fact: for every 50 old desktop computers (monitor and CPU) that are recycled rather than thrown away, there is a reduction in greenhouse gases equivalent to taking one car off the road per year. It also saves enough energy to power two households for an entire year!
African ElephantDuring this event last October we collected about 10,000 pounds of electronics, about the weight equivalent of a female African Elephant. This year, we’re hoping for even more, so let’s see how many large, electronic elephants we can get!
To get to Park Lot South by car, go south on Elmwood, away from the Medical Center, and take a right onto Wilson Blvd to enter the River Campus. Take your first, immediate right onto Trustee Rd, then take another right onto Intercampus Drive. Drive across the bridge over Elmwood and keep going all the way down until you reach Park Lot South. See the map listed below for a visual representation of the location.
To view a list of accepted items, please check the event flyer.
To view a map with directions to the location, please click here.
For more information about Sunnking, visit their website at www.sunnking.com.
Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design
Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design