Reworld, Goodwill partner on Pennsylvania electronics recycling

Reworld, Morristown, New Jersey, has partnered with Goodwill Keystone Area to provide free electronics recycling to 22 central and southeastern Pennsylvania counties.

“Electronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, and making electronics reuse and recycling easier and more accessible is critical to keeping these materials out of landfills or worse, illegally dumped,” Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley says. “This program reduces waste, reuses items that are still good and recycles the ones that aren’t.”

Reworld says the effort was made possible by the Middletown-based Pennsylvania Recycling Market Center (RMC), which mapped Goodwill processes and operations to understand and interpret the facility needs of Goodwill Keystone Area. By understanding Goodwill criteria and the current e-scrap landscape, RMC was able to facilitate the introduction of electronics recyclers, resulting in the Reworld collaboration.

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“In 2023, Pennsylvania had only nine e-waste recycling sites that would accept any electronic device for recycling at no cost, without limitations,” says Robert Bylone, CEO of RMC. “The new program at Goodwill Keystone Area now includes 22 counties at 42 locations, approximately 45 percent of the Pennsylvania population.”

“This program extends our commitment and services in managing end-of-life electronic devices responsibly, utilizing our expertise and facilities to ensure environmentally responsible recycling and disposal,” says Gordon Burgoyne, business manager of electronics recycling at Reworld. “We are proud to join with Goodwill Keystone Area to bring a convenient and responsible no-cost e-waste recycling option to the residents of central and southeastern Pennsylvania under the state law.”

According to Reworld, it launched the initiative with Goodwill Keystone Area due to the need for electronics recycling options in the region. Many Pennsylvania counties, including Montgomerty, Bucks and Chester in the Philadelphia suburbs, lack comprehensive e-scrap disposal services, the company says. This gap poses significant challenges for residents, particularly when disposing of televisions, which typically incur fees and may only be collected on one specific day, if at all.

“In partnership with Reworld, we're flipping the switch on e-waste recycling,” Goodwill Keystone Area President and CEO Ed Lada Jr. says. “This free program empowers residents across Goodwill’s 22-county footprint to responsibly donate a broad array of old electronics at any of our drop-off locations seven days a week. Donors can now take comfort knowing they have a convenient way of contributing to waste-reduction efforts and are helping to bolster Goodwill Keystone’s mission to advance sustainability in our communities.”

Leveraging Goodwill Keystone Area’s network of 42 stores and donation centers, the initiative will establish each as drop-off points for end-of-life electronics, including televisions, computers, mobile devices, gaming systems, telephones, toasters and vacuums. Reworld says the program’s goal is to collect half a million pounds of electronics within the first year.

If collected electronics cannot be sold in stores, Reworld will be responsible for recycling them.

Electronics will be refurbished or recycled in compliance with the Pennsylvania Covered Device Recycling Act and international e-Stewards standards.

“The launch of this program and its capacity to accept e-waste is all about providing our neighbors here in Pennsylvania with the opportunity to take environmentally friendly action and represents a six-fold increase in open and fee-free electronics recycling capacity in these 22 counties,” Burgoyne says.

Click here for a complete list of Goodwill Keystone Area stores and donation centers participating in the initiative, as well as a list of accepted electronics.