Electronics Recycling

The Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Co. LLC (MRM), a provider of electronics recycling management services to manufacturers, has established a national recycling infrastructure that manufacturers can use to provide recycling opportunities for their consumers.

Jan. 15 the MRM network began providing recycling opportunities at 280 locations, with at least one recycling center in each state, making it one of the most comprehensive national recycling networks. MRM says it plans to expand its program and expects to have established at least 800 drop-off locations by 2011.

Panasonic Corp. of North America, Sharp Electronics Corp. and Toshiba America Consumer Products LLC, MRM’s founders, will be the first companies to use this expanded recycling service to operate their individual manufacturer recycling programs.

Consumers can drop off Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba brand consumer audio and video electronics products for recycling at any one of the 280 locations nationwide. A complete list of locations where products from these brands can be recycled is available on the MRM Web site at www.MRMrecycling.com.

MRM President David Thompson says, "With the establishment of the nationwide recycling program, one of most comprehensive in the industry, we have proven that collaborative effort is the most effective way to provide consumers with convenient recycling opportunities."

MRM currently works with local governments, nonprofits and private waste management companies to offer collection services for unwanted electronics. In addition MRM will begin testing a new concept being pioneered by Eco International, Vestal, N.Y., which involves using public storage sites to provide convenient, cost-effective recycling opportunities for consumers, according to the company. The MRM infrastructure will include 40 of these sites. MRM will expand the number of these sites if they prove to provide the level of service that the company’s manufacturers and consumers require.

MRM has partnered with electronics recycling companies CRT-Processing, Creative Recycling Systems, Eco-International and Materials Processing Corp. to handle the processing of the collected electronics.

The state of Oregon has rolled out its Oregon E-Cycles program, a service that provides free recycling of computers, monitors and television sets.

The program is financed by electronics manufacturers and is jointly implemented with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

The program has established 225 collection sites throughout the state, and residents can drop off up to seven items at no cost.

A complete list of the collection sites in the state is available at the Oregon E-Cycles Web site, www.oregonecycles.org.

Some of the collection sites may collect other unwanted electronics, such as cell phones and printers, though they may charge a fee for these items.

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