Creative Recycling Systems, Inc. of Palmetto offers a solution to the dilemma of getting rid of obsolete electronics in a responsible way.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, CRS will provide a drop-off point for computers and computer peripherals in the parking lot of Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church at 101 Peachtree Pkwy. North, Peachtree City.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., CRS personnel and church volunteers will be on site to help get heavy pieces from car trunks and into their containers. This service is free to the general public.

Old computers and certain other electronics can be disposed of safely through CRS, according to Bill Grabill of the congregation’s Stewardship Committee which is coordinating this effort.

CRS can take the following, Grabill says:
· Computers (including laptops)
· Monitors
· Scanners
· Printers
· Cell phones and chargers
· Fax machines and “3-in-1” small office machines

They do not take televisions, microwaves, and other household items. Computers will be taken to the CRS processing facility in Palmetto where their condition will be assessed. The machines will be either broken down into component parts and recycled or put back into use in the secondary computer market.

Hard drives of the computers are “cleaned” to protect personal information that is on them. Components containing hazardous substances such as heavy metals are recycled in an environmentally responsible manner.

According to The National Safety Council, Grabill says, more than 300 million personal computers will need to be recycled over the next four years. This rapid advancement in technology has created an alarming number of electronics being discarded, many of them containing hazardous substances like lead, mercury and cadmium.

With many of the nation’s landfills already filled to capacity, and with the hazardous materials that electronic devices contain, simply dropping obsolete electronics in the trash is not a responsible solution. In fact, improperly discarded electronics account for more than half of the heavy metals found in our landfills – and can seep out to contaminate our air, water and soil. “If you or anyone you know has old computers,” Grabill added, “please take advantage of this opportunity to recycle them. We can all do our part in caring for the environment by minimizing hazardous materials in landfills and by reusing or recycling our old computers.”

Grabill may be reached at 770-487-2481.

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