Don’t throw away old electronics - recycle them

Celebrating 45 years this April 22, Earth Day will once again spotlight the need for preserving the environment with a variety of local and national events.

One major theme of Earth Day is recycling. Instead of shipping off items you no longer have a use for to lay waste in a landfill, reusing and repurposing them is a more environmentally friendly way to dispose of them. What one person sees as useless, might just be a treasure for someone else, especially when it comes to electronics.

According to the United Recyclers of America South Carolina website, 20 million to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide each year.

“Many people don’t know what to do with their old electronics,” says Ann Scott, the state event coordinator for the United Recyclers of America South Carolina. “When they’re not disposed of responsibly, they pose a threat to the environment, humans and animals.”

Have an old answering machine or radio lying around just collecting dust? Recycle it.

Beginning April 15 and running through April 18, The Wellness Council for South Carolina, teamed with the United Recyclers of America South Carolina, will host a Free E-recycling Event in the parking lot of the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach.

The event will be held in conjunction with Earth Day Music Fest, and will provide an opportunity for residents, businesses, organizations and groups to recycle certain old, used and unwanted electronics.

“We would like to keep a lot of these electronics out of the landfills. I know a lot of people don’t know what to do with their old computers and printers,” says Kristi Jacques Falk, founder and executive director of the Wellness Council for South Carolina. “We want to make people more aware that things can be recycled, repaired and reused in an environmentally friendly manner.”

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The United Recyclers of America South Carolina will have a trailer on site for collecting the items which will be organized, tested, refurbished as needed and sold in retail stores nationally. A percentage from the sales of donated items will benefit the Wellness Council for South Carolina, which works to improve the health and wellness of South Carolina residents.

“In addition to being earth friendly and raising funds for the Wellness Council, (this event) will help others to purchase electronics at a more affordable price,” says Scott.

Used computers, laptops, keyboards, wireless devices, printers, copiers, cameras, game consoles, projectors, cellphones, fax machines, generators, and much more will be accepted for donation during the event.

If you do plan to donate an item that once contained sensitive personal data, like a personal computer, cellphone or camera, certain measures should be taken to erase your information from the device prior to donating.

Along with removing external storage devices like SIM cards and SD memory cards, check the guidelines suggested by the device’s manufacturer for resetting and erasing the memory. Or, for a nominal fee, the service will be offered by the United Recyclers of America South Carolina.

If you have an item that is not accepted at the recycling event, and aren’t sure what to do with it, Falk suggests contacting other area agencies, like the Horry County Solid Waste Authority, or searching online for ways to recycle a specific item or material.

For more information on the items accepted and not accepted during the event or to volunteer, contact the Wellness Council for South Carolina at 995-3199, or visit www.wellnesscouncilcsc.org.

This story was originally published April 15, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Don’t throw away old electronics - recycle them."