04-28-2010

Monroe business offers recycling program
Freeport Journal Standard

Recycling computers and other electronic items can be challenging for the general public, so Monroe business owner Josh Montgomery decided to do something about it.

Montgomery is president of Computer Heroes in Monroe, Wis., a firm that is offering area residents the chance to properly dispose of old laptop computers, desktops, printers, scanners, computer cords, telephones, and more. All this week, through Friday, April 30, members of the public can bring their old electronics to Computer Heroes to be recycled. The computer sales and service store is located at 132 W. 6th St. in Monroe.

“Many people know not to put their (computer) stuff in landfills, but they can end up there anyway,” Montgomery said. “Over the last few years, with the green initiative, people are holding onto their stuff longer. They don’t know what to do with it. It’s just nice for people to be able to clean up stuff and get rid of junk.”

Montgomery said this week’s recycling drive is the fifth time Computer Heroes has organized an event of this sort. Initially, Montgomery’s business held day-long collections, but the program was expanded to a week-long collection for the first time last October and it proved to be a success, he said.

“We collected over 10,000 pounds of materials,” Montgomery said of the October drive. “It worked out well.”

Since Computer Heroes started its electronic collection drives in 2008, more than 14 tons of computers have been recycled, which keeps hazardous materials like mercury, lead, and cadmium out of landfills, states an event news release.

For this week’s collection drive, people can bring in the following items to be recycled at no charge: old laptops, desktops, printers, scanners, computer cords, telephones, circuit boards, UPS power strips, fax machines, VCRs, DVD players, and stereo equipment. There is a small fee of $10 if you want to recycle CRT computer monitors, and larger items like copiers, televisions or appliances may require an extra fee also.

According to Montgomery, Computer Heroes does not make any money off this program. Any fees collected are used to offset recycling costs. Computer Heroes is teaming up with a Madison-based recycler, Resource Solutions, to complete this project.

Items dropped off this week at Computer Heroes will be picked up next week to be recycled. As part of the program, certified Computer Heroes/Resource Solutions technicians will securely erase data from the items to ensure that personal information is not compromised, the news release states.

Successful Collection

During the week-long drive in October, about 400 individual items were collected, Montgomery said. This week’s drive is already on par to meet or exceed last fall’s totals, he said. As of Tuesday, Computer Heroes had collected 150 to 200 items with three days of collecting still to go, he said.

Computer Heroes plans to hold recycling drives of this sort twice a year. For more information, visit the website,www.computerheroes.com, or contact Montgomery at (608) 329-4300.