LEMOYNE,
Pa., May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
Reworld™, in partnership with Goodwill Keystone Area,
unveiled a new initiative to provide free electronic waste
recycling across 22 central and southeastern Pennsylvania counties. The program was
launched during an event at the local Goodwill Keystone Area store
and donation center in Lemoyne,
just across the river from the Pennsylvania State Capitol.
Reworld™ is a proven provider of e-waste recycling,
recovery and environmentally responsible disposal, having recycled
more than 135 million pounds of e-waste.
Jessica Shirley, Acting Secretary
of the state Department of Environmental Protection, was present at
the launch event, underscoring the importance of this pivotal move
toward enhancing e-waste recycling access for the state's
residents.
"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," said Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. "This program reduces waste,
reuses items that are still good, and recycles the ones that
aren't."
Made possible through efforts of the Pennsylvania Recycling
Market Center, it began by Recycling Markets Center industry
experts mapping Goodwill processes and operations, then
understanding and interpreting the facility needs of Goodwill
Keystone Area. Understanding Goodwill criteria and the e-waste
landscape, the Recycling Markets Center coordinated the
introduction of e-waste vendors to Goodwill Keystone Area,
resulting in a successful pairing with Reworld™.
"In 2023, Pennsylvania had only
nine e-waste recycling sites that would accept any electronic
device for recycling at no cost, without limitations. The new
program at Goodwill Keystone Area now includes 22 counties at 42
locations, approximately 45 percent of the Pennsylvania population," said Robert Bylone, President and CEO, Pennsylvania
Recycling Markets Center.
"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," said Gordon Burgoyne, Business Manager of
Electronics Recycling, 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."
Reworld™ and Goodwill Keystone Area launched the
initiative in response to a pressing need in the region, expanding
electronic recycling options under the PA Covered Device Recycling
Act 108 for many counties currently underserved by existing
recycling programs. Many counties, including densely populated
areas such as Montgomery,
Bucks and Chester counties in the Philadelphia suburbs, lack comprehensive,
e-waste disposal services. This gap poses significant challenges
for residents, particularly when disposing of items like
televisions, which typically incur additional 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. said. "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."
The new initiative will leverage Goodwill Keystone Area's broad
network of 42 stores and donation center sites, establishing each
as drop-off points for a wide variety of e-waste items from
televisions and computers to other household electronics, including
mobile devices, gaming systems, telephones, toasters, vacuums and
much more – with an ambitious goal to collect half a million pounds
of electronic waste within the first year. The program will not
only facilitate easier access to e-waste recycling for residents
but also encourage them to donate other gently used items, such as
clothing, books and household goods.
If the electronics dropped off are at the end of their life or
broken and Goodwill Keystone Area cannot sell them in their stores,
they will be responsibly recycled by Reworld™.
This initiative represents a significant commitment by
Reworld™ and Goodwill Keystone Area to improve
electronic waste management and help preserve Pennsylvania's environment for future
generations. Goodwill Keystone
Area will focus on the collection and sorting of donated
items, and Reworld™ will play a critical role in the
downstream processing and recycling, with the collected electronics
being 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," added Burgoyne.
Visit yourgoodwill.org for a complete list of Goodwill Keystone
Area stores and donation centers participating in the initiative,
as well as a list of accepted and non-accepted electronic
items.
About Reworld™
Reworld™ is a leader in sustainable waste solutions,
providing innovative and environmentally responsible services to a
global community. Reworld™ is committed to advancing
zero waste initiatives and supporting sustainability goals through
state-of-the-art technologies that reimagine, reduce, reuse,
recycle, recover and renew. For more information, visit
www.reworldwaste.com.
About Goodwill Keystone Area
Goodwill Keystone Area serves 22 counties in central
and southeastern Pennsylvania. As
a 501c3 nonprofit, revenue generated from the sale of donated goods
in its retail stores and online auction site directly supports
Goodwill's mission to advance sustainability so that individuals
and families can thrive and flourish. Goodwill fulfills this
mission by recycling donations into training, paychecks and
careers. Additionally, as America's original recycler,
environmental sustainability has been central to Goodwill's mission
since its founding. To learn more, visit yourgoodwill.org.
About Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center
The
Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center (RMC) is a nonprofit
corporation with mission to reduce or eliminate barriers that lead
to expanded end-use of Pennsylvania's recycling. As the only
Pennsylvania organization with
this uniquely circular mission, the RMC team brings economic
development and environmental guidance; recycling industry outreach
and research; and manufacturing assistance to stakeholders
including entrepreneurs, manufacturers, recycling sorters,
collection programs, haulers, governmental agencies and officials,
consumers and educators. Since inception in 2004, and with funding
from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the
RMC has an affiliation with Penn State
and is headquartered at Penn State Harrisburg with an office also
in Pittsburgh. Serving the entire
state, RMC assistance includes manufacturing supply connectivity
for use of recycled feedstocks; applied research and
commercialization assistance in the use of recycled materials;
technology and equipment comparisons; and expert curation of
technical and business growth knowledge. The Recycling Markets
Center is the keystone of circular economy in Pennsylvania. To learn more, visit
PennRMC.org.
Media Contacts
Nicolle
Robles
Nrobles@reworldwaste.com
(862) 345-5245
Coyne PR
reworld@coynepr.com
(973) 588-2000
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SOURCE Reworld Holding Corporation