Covanta Onondaga and the Southwood Fire Department Collect One Ton of Electronic Waste at Open House Event

JAMESVILLE, N.Y., May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Covanta Onondaga and the Southwood Fire Department recently collected over 2,000 pounds of electronic waste (e-waste) from local residents and businesses at a collection event and open house at the Southwood Fire Department in Jamesville, NY. Items collected included cellphones, televisions, laptops, PCs, tablets and cameras.

The collection was held in an effort to increase the amount of electronics that are recycled, reduce the amount of electronics discarded in regular household trash and educate the community on the importance of electronic recycling. Many electronics contain a wide variety of materials that can be recycled, which reduces energy use and the need to mine more raw materials from the earth. In addition, many electronics contain components which can be hazardous in the waste stream and should not be thrown away with regular household trash.

"It's important for people to know that disposing of electronics properly really makes a difference for the environment. It is part of the four Rs we champion at Covanta – reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover energy-from-waste," said Kathy Carroll, Business Manager for Covanta Onondaga L.P., the operator of the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Facility. "As a member of the Jamesville and greater Syracuse community, Covanta is proud of our work with the Southwood Fire Department to make a difference in the community and for the environment."

Covanta Onondaga and members of the Southwood Fire Department were on hand to collect old electronics delivered by local residents and businesses. As part of the day's event, the Southwood Fire Department also promoted volunteerism and the important role volunteer firefighters play in protecting the community. Residents interested in joining the department are encouraged to visit http://www.southwoodfd.com for more information.

"The Southwood Fire Department appreciates the continued support of Covanta Onondaga," said First Deputy Chief, Tom Bouvia, of the Southwood Fire Department. "We are pleased that our Recruit NY open house and e-waste collection efforts were huge successes."

The Onondaga Resource Recovery Facility, operated by Covanta, serves Onondaga County and the greater Syracuse region with sustainable waste disposal, processing approximately 990 tons of municipal solid waste per day into more than 39 megawatts of renewable electricity. Since its opening, the facility has converted more than 6 million tons of solid waste into over 3.8 million megawatt hours of clean energy – enough to power approximately 470,000 homes for one year, and recycled more than 180,000 tons of metal – enough to build 150,000 automobiles. Last year alone, the facility generated enough electricity to power over a third of the homes in the City of Syracuse.

About Covanta
Covanta is a world leader in sustainable waste management and renewable energy.  The Company's 45 Energy-from-Waste facilities provide communities and businesses around the world with an environmentally sound solution to their solid waste disposal needs by using waste to generate clean, renewable energy.  Annually, Covanta's modern Energy-from-Waste facilities safely and securely convert approximately 20 million tons of waste into clean, renewable electricity to power one million homes and recycle over 430,000 tons of metal. Energy-from-Waste facilities reduce greenhouse gases, complement recycling and are a critical component of sustainable solid waste management.  For more information, visit www.covanta.com.

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SOURCE Covanta