South Carolinians Urged to Give Life to Old Electronics at Free Statewide Event

COLUMBIA, S.C., April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- South Carolina residents will soon have an opportunity to give life to their old residential electronic equipment in an environmentally sound manner that is free, convenient and secure.  Today state legislators took steps to officially declare by concurrent resolution that April 30, 2011, will be South Carolina eCycles Day. Sponsors of South Carolina eCycles Day, including LG Electronics (LG), Waste Management (WM), the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) as well as many local public and corporate partners gathered in the rotunda of the State House this morning to announce this important event. During this one-day statewide event, sponsored by LG, WM and DHEC, there will be three designated eCycling drop-off sites across the state - in the Upstate, Midstate and Lowcountry - where citizens can easily dispose of and recycle their household electronic devices from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Electronics are recyclable and valuable, and there are more than 5 million tons sitting in basements, closets and drawers across the country with 2 million new tons added to the waste stream each year.  In fact, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, e-waste is the fastest growing segment of the nation's waste stream.  By recycling old electronic products, useful materials such as glass, plastic and metal can be re-used in the manufacture of other products.  In South Carolina alone, the recycling industry contributes $6.5 billion annually to the state's economy.

"This event will allow South Carolinians to play a part in helping the environment and contribute to a more sustainable future," said South Carolina House Representative Dwight Loftis. Representative Loftis sponsored the joint House and Senate resolution declaring April 30 as South Carolina eCycles Day and more importantly, last year he was the primary sponsor of new eCycling legislation that takes effect on July 1, 2011, banning the disposal of household covered devices including computers, computer monitors, printers and TVs from South Carolina landfills.

South Carolina is one of two dozen states implementing e-waste recycling laws to reduce landfill volume, recycle valuable materials and help reduce costs of creating new products.  

"With the new electronics recycling law and ban taking effect in July, it is important to make South Carolinians aware of the many recycling options offered by local governments, manufacturers and retailers," said Kent Coleman, director of mining and solid waste management division at SCDHEC. "We all must join the effort. South Carolina eCycles Day is the perfect example of businesses and organizations showing leadership and taking responsibility in helping protect South Carolina's environment," he added.    

All three designated drop-off sites will accept residential electronics from 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30.  The eCycling drop-off locations will help make recycling of electronic products easy and convenient.  Residents don't even need to get out of their vehicles.  The eCycling crew members will collect all acceptable electronic products from trunks or pickup beds.  Products not acceptable for eCycling will be left in the vehicles.  Once collection has reached full capacity no further materials will be accepted to ensure safety and security.

"We're very proud to provide this important recycling opportunity to the customers and residents we serve everyday across South Carolina," said Randall Essick, spokesman for Waste Management.  "Recovering valuable materials and resources, reducing volume in our landfills, and responsibly managing waste while protecting the environment and serving our communities are top priorities for Waste Management," he added.

South Carolina eCycles Day is part of the LG Electronics Recycling Program, which is designed to provide consumers with a convenient way to dispose of their used, unwanted, obsolete or damaged consumer electronics products.  The eCycling events also coincide with the "Great American Cleanup," organized by Keep America Beautiful.  The 2011 theme, "Green Starts Here," is a rallying call that encourages civic leaders and volunteer groups to begin creating more sustainable communities through their efforts as volunteers, and through their daily choices and actions. It also reflects Keep America Beautiful's long legacy of waste reduction, recycling, beautification and community greening activities.

"LG Electronics is taking a proactive approach to help consumers responsibly dispose of end-of-life electronics by joining forces with Waste Management and DHEC to offer this free collection and recycling program to residents," said John Taylor, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for LG Electronics USA.  "We encourage consumers to take advantage of this opportunity to dispose of unwanted electronics in an environmentally responsible manner. Life's good when it's green," he said.

In addition to LG, WM and DHEC, some of the local public and corporate partners for South Carolina eCycles Day include the following county governments and agencies: Dorchester County, Greenville County, Lexington County, Charleston County, Richland County, Keep Dorchester County Beautiful, Keep the Midlands Beautiful, Keep Greenville County Beautiful, Greenville County Recreation District, Greater Greenville Sanitation, hands on Greenville, Lexington County Recycles and Palmetto Pride; local governments: City of Columbia, City of Fountain Inn, Town of Irmo, Town of Lexington and Town of Mauldin; corporate partners: C.R. Jackson Contractors, Furman University, GE Energy, McNair Law Firm, Milliken, Movers and Groovers, and NuLife Environmental, Inc.; and media sponsors: WCSC-TV, WLTX-TV and WYFF-TV.  For more information about the event please visit www.eCycleSC.com.

Acceptable items for South Carolina eCycles Day are:

Computers – CPUs
Computer monitors
Computer peripherals
Printers
Fax machines
Keyboards
Photocopiers
Televisions
VCRs
Stereos
Home and office phones
Cell phones
Consumer electronics

Unacceptable items for South Carolina eCycles Day are:

Microwaves
Smoke alarms and detectors
Fire alarms and detectors
Thermometers
Dehumidifiers
Large appliances (refrigerators, etc.)
Non-decontaminated medical equipment
Any unit with sludge or liquids

South Carolina eCycles Day designated drop-off sites (open from 8 AM until 2PM):

Midstate Drop-off site:

SC State Farmers Market
3483 Charleston Highway (US 321/21/178)
West Columbia, SC 29172

Lowcountry Drop-off site:

Heritage Square Shopping Center
372 Highway 78 and Berlin G. Myers Parkway
Summerville, SC 29483

Upstate Drop-off site:

Greenville Municipal Stadium
1 Braves Avenue
Greenville, SC 29607

About Waste Management

Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America, providing collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services.  We are also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States with active operations and facilities located in South Carolina.  We proudly employ approximately 500 employees in South Carolina and 45,000 employees nationwide.  For more information about Waste Management visit: www.wm.com or www.ThinkGreen.com.

About LG Electronics USA

LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in home appliances, consumer electronics ad mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells stylish, innovative home appliances, home entertainment (consumer electronics) products, mobile phones and business solutions under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.

Contact:
Emily Brady 803.238.4767 or [email protected]

SOURCE Waste Management