Electronics recycling event set for Stephenville residents

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By AMANDA KIMBLE
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (October 27, 2016) – Digital cameras, laptops, desktops, televisions, speakers, DVD players… It’s time load up all of your unneeded, unwanted and inoperable computers and electronic devices to make way for all the gadgets and tech tools on your holiday wish list.

But, don’t take them to the landfill or be a suspect of illegal dumping. The city of Stephenville has organized a computer and electronic recycling event for city residents from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 29.

City officials warn that the service provider, RAKI Electronics Recycling, will have limited space – a large truckload – for the first-come, first-served event.

The service is (for the most part) free of charge. There’s a nominal fee for a couple of larger, bulkier items, according to Larry Whittaker, RAKI general manager.

Each household will be limited to one free cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor per household – the older, large box-style computer monitors. Residents will also be charged for the recycling of box television sets – all those that are not the modern, slim-body design.

“There will be a fee of $7 for each additional CRT monitor and $20 for box televisions,” Whittaker said. “Those fees must be paid in cash at the recycling event.”

For residents concerned about the fate of their unwanted computers and other devices that could contain proprietary information, Whittaker said RAKI has a number of certifications and safety procedures in place to protect consumers. 

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“We are fully R2 (Responsible Recycling) certified,” he said.

The R2 Standard, an initiative of Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), provides a common set of processes, safety measures and documentation requirements for businesses that repair and recycle used electronics. The process is rigorously and independently audited, emphasizing quality, safety and transparency.

“That is a level above the federal government,” Whittaker said, providing a procedural example. “All hard drives will be wiped using a Department of Defense kill disk program that restores all zeros to the hard drive. In that fails, the hard drives will be taken to the shredder to be physically destroyed.”

He also said that once the items have been prepared for recycling, they will be sent to smelters where the various metals and plastics will be melted down for use in the construction of other products and devices.

Meanwhile, city officials are reminding residents that the upcoming event prohibits certain items, including light bulbs, alkaline batteries, mercury, paint will not be accepted at this particular event – the city held its annual household hazardous waste collection event in August. Tires are also prohibited.

But, cell phones, fax machines, monitors, servers, printers, copiers, routers, cabling, phone systems, gaming consoles, car batteries, metals, plastics and similar items and materials will be accepted.

For more information, contact Sara Koonce with the city of Stephenville at 254-918-1292 or via email at skoonce@stephenvilletx.gov.

1 Comment

  1. This is really nice Raki. I wish there was a company Denver which would don’t their services like this. I have a basement full of electronic items and haven’t found an affordable way to dispose of them.

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