Businesses and Consumers Invited to Help Eliminate Electronic Waste by Participating in Arizona Technology Council's Free Technology Recycling Day

PHOENIX, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona businesses and consumers can play an important role in addressing the issue of electronic waste by safely disposing their computer, manufacturing and other electronic equipment through the Arizona Technology Council Foundation Technology Recycling Day supported by Data Doctors and Westech Recyclers. On Saturday, October 20, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., major drop-off locations located throughout the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas will be accepting equipment and providing receipts for tax donation purposes. In addition, all Arizona Data Doctors locations in the state of Arizona are accepting drop-offs until 5:00 p.m.

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According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), of the 2.25 million tons of TVs, cell phones and computer products that can be recycled, only 18 percent was collected for recycling and 82 percent was disposed of, primarily in landfills.

"Electronic equipment is one of the fastest growing types of waste," said Steven Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. "We sponsor this bi-annual event to ensure electronic recycling is done the right way - responsibly and safely."

The electronic equipment and components acceptable for drop-off includes personal computers, computer peripherals, networking equipment, main frames, servers, point-of-sale equipment, printers, audio/visual and telecom devices, surplus metals, wire, cable and power strips. Miscellaneous electronic items such as test and/or lab equipment are also acceptable.

All donated equipment will be handled through the Arizona Technology Council Foundation's TechTerra Program in partnership with Westech Recyclers. As part of that program, a portion of the equipment is donated statewide to support Arizona educational programs.

"Electronics have revolutionized our lifestyle, however, they need to be disposed of properly in order to keep them from reaching landfills," said Tom Holland, business development manager, Westech Recyclers, an Arizona Technology Council member company. "Westech is proud to participate in the TechTerra Program that creates less waste and provides usable items to organizations that need them."

Drop-off Locations

All Arizona Data Doctors locations in the state of Arizona are accepting drop-offs until 5:00 p.m. Those wishing to donate their hard drives but want to make sure that the information is securely wiped can drop off their donations at the Data Doctors Data Recovery & Forensics lab in Tempe located at 725 S Rural Rd #107, Tempe 85281, or educate themselves by visiting http://bit.ly/KKvEq.

In the Phoenix metro area drop-off locations are:

• Avnet Price Road Facility, 8700 S. Price Road, Tempe, AZ 85284 (I-10 and Loop 202)
• Henkel, 19001 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ  85255
• Honeywell, 21111 19th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85027
• One Neck IT Services, 5301 N. Pima Road #100, Scottsdale, AZ 85250-0263
• All Data Doctor locations

In the Tucson metro area drop-off locations are:

• ITT Technical Institute, 1455 West River Road, Tucson, Arizona 85704 (West of La Canada, on the south side of River Rd)
• All Data Doctor locations
• * From Monday, October 22 through Friday, October 26, Raytheon located in the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park, 9070 S. Rita Road, Tucson, AZ 85747 (NOT a Saturday, October 20 drop-off location)

About the Arizona Technology Council Foundation
The Arizona Technology Council Foundation is dedicated to further promoting and growing technology in Arizona through the raising of funds, leadership, collaboration and innovation.  The Foundation is home to Science, Engineering, Technology and Math (STEM) programs including getSTEM™-az , the Arizona SciTech Festival, the Arizona Middle School Science Bowl and the Arizona Science & Engineering Fair. In additional, The Foundation is home to the Arizona Innovation Institute and the TechTerra Recycling program.

About the Arizona Technology Council
The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona's premier trade association for science and technology companies.  Recognized as having a diverse professional business community, Council members work towards furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry.  These interactions contribute to the Council's culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.

SOURCE Arizona Technology Council