Consumer Recycling Event to Raise Awareness of Permanent Drop-off Locations PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 7
PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- To encourage consumers to recycle
electronic devices in an environmentally sound manner, Sony Electronics Inc.
and Waste Management Recycle America are asking Portland-area residents to
take action and recycle their old electronics for free Saturday, August 23
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center.
Additionally, the first 2,000 participants to drop off their unwanted
electronics will receive a free, environmentally friendly cloth tote.
The event is part of Sony's ongoing Take Back Recycling program, which
provides free recycling for Sony products. This national effort is also
bringing attention to recycling e-waste and educating the public that there
are alternatives to trashing electronics, and that -- through recycling --
natural resources can be used again and greenhouse emissions are reduced in
the process.
Typically, residents would need to pay for their televisions to be
properly collected and recycled, but as part of their ongoing efforts to help
consumers recycle electronic devices safely, Sony Electronics and WM are
picking up the tab. In addition, the companies have committed to collecting
and processing these items in an environmentally sound manner.
"Sony intends to lead the industry in environmental stewardship by
providing consumers with end-of-life solutions through our Take Back Recycling
Program," said Mark Small, vice president of environment, safety and health
for Sony Electronics. "These special recycling events help us inform consumers
that with Waste Management, Sony has established a local permanent drop-off
location, which they can use all year long to recycle their electronics when
unplugged for the last time."
This coming February, all television stations will be required to convert
from analog broadcasting to digital. Some older televisions will not be able
to pick up the digital transmission without a special converter. Sony
Electronics and Waste Management -- through the Take Back Recycling Program --
are ready to help consumers by offering a convenient way to recycle their old
television sets as well as publicize the permanent network of drop off points
to recycle electronic waste.
"People are seeking services to help them recycle electronic waste
responsibly and economically," said Joe Aho, senior manager of eCycling, Waste
Management Recycle America. "We hope to collect as much recyclable material as
possible through this free event. It is our way of demonstrating a shared
commitment with the community, by providing outstanding customer service and
environmental stewardship."
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2 million tons of
e-waste ended up in landfills in 2005, while only about 380,000 tons were
recycled. By recycling old electronics products, useful materials -- such as
glass, plastic and metals -- can be collected and re-used in the manufacture
of other products. Since their partnership began, Sony and Waste Management
have collected a total of 9.2 million pounds of electronic waste, and the
companies anticipate that number will grow exponentially.
Sony Electronics and WM, along with LG Electronics, Gateway and Acer, are
also coordinating efforts to help implement the Oregon e-waste recycling law,
which will take effect in January 2009. Their joint compliance plan, dubbed
the Independent Producer Responsibility Group Plan, represents the highest
level of commitment a manufacturer can make to take responsibility for the
products it manufactures by recycling its own branded products.
A complete list of eCycling drop-off centers can be found at
http://www.sony.com/recycle.
About Waste Management and WM Recycle America, L.L.C.
Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of
comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries
provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal
services. We are also a leading developer, operator and owner of
waste-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include
residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North
America. More information and how Waste Management achieves Think Green(R) can
be found at http://www.thinkgreen.com.
WM Recycle America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Waste Management and is
the largest recycler in North America. WM Recycle America's business lines
include processing many types of consumer-generated recyclables and finding
the best markets for the recyclable commodities produced. In its capacity of
providing processing and marketing services, WM Recycle America offers a wide
variety of recycling options for municipal, manufacturing, commercial and
residential customers. WM Recycle America eCycling Services operates a
national network of e-waste processing centers, including Minnesota's only
ISO9001 and 14001 Certified electronics processing facility. More information
can be found at http://www.recycleamerica.com
About Sony Electronics
Headquartered in San Diego, Sony Electronics is a leading provider of
audio/video electronics and information technology products for the consumer
and professional markets. Operations include research and development, design,
engineering, manufacturing, sales, marketing, distribution and customer
service.
Sony has played a key role in the development of Blu-ray, Disc(TM), CD,
DVD and Super Audio CD technologies, among many others. The company is noted
for a wide range of consumer audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA(R) LCD
high-definition television, Cyber-shot(R) digital camera, Handycam(R)
camcorder and Walkman(R) personal stereo. Sony is also an innovator in the IT
arena with its VAIO(R) personal computers; and in high-definition professional
broadcast and video equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM(R) HD and CineAlta(TM)
lines of cameras and camcorders, and the SXRD(TM) 4K digital projector. The
latest news and information is available at the company's Web site at
http://www.sony.com/news.
SOURCE Sony Electronics Inc.
