ecoATM Recycles More Than One Million Electronic Devices

SAN DIEGO, April 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ecoATM, the company that allows consumers to recycle used mobile phones, tablets, and MP3 players for immediate cash, announced today that it has recycled more than one-million devices. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recycling one million devices has the environmental impact of removing 1,981 average US houses off the grid for a year in terms of energy saved, and 152 cars off the road for a year in terms of greenhouse gases saved. ecoATM has had a tremendous positive impact on the environment since its inception in 2008.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130417/PH95886-INFO )

"By 2020, there will be so many old, unused or broken electronics, they could fill enough dump trucks to circle the globe twice," said Tom Tullie, Chairman and CEO of ecoATM. "Hitting the one million mark is encouraging. People are recognizing that eWaste is a real problem and that there are convenient solutions for responsibly disposing of unwanted electronics."

With mobile phone and electronic technologies changing at rapid rates each year and the average lifespan of a phone being only 18 months, it is becoming increasingly important to properly dispose of these devices. ecoATM finds a second life for 60 percent of the electronics collected and responsibly recycles the rest. Since being founded, ecoATM has saved landfills from more than one million potentially toxic devices.

The annual environmental impact of a single ecoATM kiosk as determined by the EPA calculator can be measured by:

• 25,681 tons of toxic mining waste averted
• 4,309 kilos of Greenhouse Gases saved
• 426 gallons of oil saved
• 212 brick-size units of hazardous waste averted from landfills
• 21 houses removed from the grid 
• 3 cars removed from the road

ecoATM is an R2 certified eWaste recycler and is ISO14001 compliant.

With more than 400 kiosks across the country, ecoATM plans to continue expansion across the United States. The automated ecoATMs accept cell phones, MP3 players and tablets in any condition; often, in conditions that other electronic recyclers will not take. For more information and to find an ecoATM location, visit http://www.ecoATM.com.

About ecoATM

Based in San Diego, Calif., ecoATM (www.ecoatm.com) is the first company to create an automated self-serve kiosk system to buy back old phones, tablets or MP3 players for cash. ecoATM uses patented, advanced machine vision, electronic diagnostics, and artificial intelligence to evaluate electronics. ecoATM's eCycling stations provide a convenient trade-in solution that:

• pays consumers immediately in cash
• connects consumers real-time to broad worldwide secondary markets ensuring best possible pricing
• incorporates features that validate sellers' identities and deter the sale of stolen phones and works closely with local law enforcement (http://ecoatm.com/law-enforcement.html)

ecoATM holds both Responsible Recycling (R2) and ISO14001 certification, confirming the company's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of electronics recycling. ecoATM was incubated at EvoNexus (http://www.commnexus.org/incubator), San Diego's leading fully pro-bono technology incubator, and developed the initial technology with help from a National Science Foundation SBIR grant. See http://www.ecoatm.com/how-it-works.html for a video of how an ecoATM kiosk works.

Contact:
Lizzie Younkin
i.d.e.a.
(619) 295-8232 x122
Email

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SOURCE ecoATM