ecoATM Wins Innovative Product of the Year Award at International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo

SAN DIEGO, May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo 2010 (IERCE) will recognize ecoATM with its Innovative Product of the Year Award at its May 26-27 event in Burlingame, Calif. The judges cited the automated eCycling system's abilities to identify, test, value and provide immediate payment for used mobile devices such as phones and iPods; track relevant information about the devices into the recycling downstream; and add value through services such as data removal and compliance reporting. The ecoATM kiosks have been very successful in collecting exponentially more devices than mail-in or POS-based systems while motivating consumers to recycle by making it simple and rewarding: the kiosks pay consumers for their recycled devices on the spot either in cash or store credits.

Additionally at the IERCE event, Sprint Nextel will be awarded the Sustainability Leadership Award honoring Sprint's Project Connect recycling program, and Best Buy will be awarded the Green Retailer Award.

"By tracking the serial numbers of every device we recycle into our audited downstream, we can be sure that the devices are either properly recycled into reuse, or are destroyed and run through the most efficient materials reclamation processes in the world in order to protect the environment here and overseas," said Seth Heine, chief green officer and co-founder of the company. "We believe that ecoATM creates a new standard of accountability and responsibility for the reuse of these devices. ecoATM's capabilities will be expanded in the future to handle other devices including computers, laptops, monitors and myriad other electronics and, through incentives and convenience, will dramatically increase public participation in eCycling. In the process, ecoATM creates jobs, protects the environment, and alters the electronics recycling landscape on many levels."

ecoATM's patent-pending kiosks support a multitude of compliance-related reporting needed by OEMs and retailers, such as conformance with state electronics recycling laws, as well as Second Hand Dealer Law compliance. In California, for example, information about the consumer such as a driver's license or state ID, as well as detailed information about the devices recycled needs to be documented in order for the recycler to be remunerated by the state for Advanced Recycling Fees (ARF). "The current manual systems requiring retail staff to gather a great deal of paperwork and to report are cumbersome, ineffective, and don't meet the requirements of the law or even the business environment in general. Visibility brings accountability and efficiency. ecoATM automates the collection of that data and incentivizes consumers to help solve this growing problem," said Heine.

"When computers, cellular phones and other electronics become defective or obsolete, they have to be recycled in an environmentally friendly manner," said Ismail Oyekan, President & Program Director, International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo. "Electronic waste contains toxic materials such as lead and mercury, which can pollute the environment and water supply if mishandled and not properly recycled. Twenty-two states, with more on the way, have electronic waste laws that require manufacturers and resellers of electronics to take responsibility in the proper disposal of end-of-life and unwanted electronics. There are also federal mandates and laws in development to handle this important electronic waste issue. ecoATM's system raises the level of transparency and accountability to a new level, and by attracting more consumers to recycle, does the environment a huge benefit globally."

About ecoATM

Based in San Diego, Calif., ecoATM's patent-pending kiosks provide a convenient in-store trade-in solution that benefits consumers, electronics retailers, and consumer electronics manufacturers. ecoATM is the only company to develop patent-pending, automated eCycling stations that electronically and/or visually inspects virtually any consumer electronic device, connects them with secondary market buyers and recyclers through pre-auction/auction systems, and administers trade-in promotions for retailers and manufacturers. For more information, please visit http://www.ecoatm.com.

For more information about the International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo 2010, May 26-27, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, San Francisco Airport, in Burlingame, Calif., please visit http://www.electronicsrecyclingexpo.com.

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SOURCE ecoATM