E-World Online is one of the national providers of responsible recycling solutions for consumer electronics manufacturers. The company recently responded to a recycler in Hilo, Hawaii who was in urgent need electronics recycling since the company’s contract with the state expired over a year ago. Even though the company’s contract expired, residents of Big Island continued to drop e-waste at the site.
It was in May 2010, when E-World Online became aware of the predicament of the Bay Side Computer Shop's dilemma after reading an article in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. E-World Online decided to do something about it and got its manufacturing partners, Sony Electronics Inc., Acer (News - Alert) America Corp., ViewSonic, NEC and LG to come together and fund the collection, shipping and recycling of over 180,000 pounds of abandoned e-waste which had been dumped at the former collection site.
The Bay Side Computer Shop was forced to close its doors as it had no space left to accept additional e-waste and no money to ship the large pile of abandoned waste to the mainland for recycling. Even though the shop closed its doors, residents kept dumping materials such as computers and televisions that were not suitable for Hawaii County's landfills.
In a release, E-World Online President Cindy Erie said that "We purchased all of the e-waste on the site, and we also paid the cost of shipping to the mainland. The state is in the middle of a change in how e-waste collection and recycling is handled, and E-World and our manufacturing partners wanted to help smooth the transition by ensuring this e-waste did not fall between the cracks. Plus, we wanted to help out a small business. Bay Side Computer Shop was in a tough position."
E-World Online and its manufacturing partners went on to buy the electronics surplus from Bay Side and also paid the per-container cost to ship it from Hawaii to Vista, Calif. E-World Online also went on to process the material at its own parent facility, E-World Recyclers.
Steven Chang, Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch Chief said in a statement to E-World Online said that "The Department of Health is pleased that E-World Online stepped up to take this e-waste from the Big Island. We are hopeful that other recyclers and manufacturers will follow E-world Online's lead and provide collection services on the neighbor islands.”
Carolyn John is a Contributor to TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please columnist page.Edited by
Rich Steeves
