PI’s Greenmark IT recycles tons of electronics
By Kathy McCarty, Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Greenmark IT, LLC, located at 99 Fort Rd., recently earned the bragging rights to be able to say the company was instrumental in keeping tons of electronics from ending up in the local landfill — or worse, along local roads or on private property.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
TWO TONS OF ELECTRONICS were recently collected by Greenmark IT LLC, of Presque Isle, and picked up by Electronics End of Brewer for recycling. Items collected included cell phones, televisions, computers and monitors, printers, copiers and more. Pictured loading the trailer from left are: Karl Casey, computer repair technician with Greenmark; Greenmark owner Eric Warren; Bruce Jacobs, owner of Electronics End; and Mike Allen, of Electronics End.
In what owner Eric Warren hopes to be the first of many such events, Greenmark collected unwanted electronics — ranging from cell phones to office-sized photocopiers — for the sole purpose of recycling them. Items were collected and pickup handled, free of charge, by a Brewer recycling business.
“I’d like to make this a regular event. If not once a month, perhaps collect items and have them picked up several times a year,” said Warren.
On July 11, Warren and Karl Casey, a computer repair technician with Greenmark, helped load dozens of outdated and broken electronics on a flatbed trailer bound for Brewer.
“I own Electronics End in Brewer. We’re a DEP licensed recycling and de-manufacturing facility. We collect discarded electronics all over the state,” said Bruce Jacobs.
“We recently did a two-day event for the town of Dedham,” said Jacobs. “We also do events in places like Clifton, Eddington, Old Town, Orono and Brewer. Those are all one-day events, held at their facilities.”
Jacobs said he also works with various agencies and organizations, including hospitals. “I’ve gotten as much as three loads from one hospital before.”
This marks Jacobs’ second year in the business, which offers regular pickups or arrangements can be made for a one-time stop.
“We’re one of only two licensed in the state for this type of recycling. The other is in Auburn,” he said.
To receive the DEP license to open his facility, Jacobs said he had to include pickup in Aroostook County. Since opening, he said it’s “been an avalanche,” with more electronics being turned in than he ever imagined.
“We were told a trailer would suffice to pick up what there was in Dyer Brook, then this stop in Presque Isle. We were amazed to find out our first stop nearly filled the trailer. We had to request a second trailer be sent from Brewer to finish picking up stuff at Greenmark. This is amazing,” said Jacobs, as he looked at the small mountain of discarded electronics stacked in Greenmark’s parking lot.
Warren said most of what was there came from customers.
“This wasn’t advertised — came mostly from my customers and was stored in a little 12-by-12 shed out back. We could do bigger next time, with some planning,” said Warren.
Jacobs said his company makes pickups in Aroostook twice a month.
“We do Frenchville, Eagle Lake, Ashland and Dyer Brook. We do both public and private collections,” he said. “We work with UMPI, UMFK.”
Jacobs said he’s interested in working with at least one area nonprofit.
“I’d like to make arrangements with Catholic Charities — pick up the items that have been donated but aren’t any good. It would help them reduce their costs and keep this stuff from ending up in a landfill,” Jacobs said.
Mike Allen, Jacobs’ assistant, said the more they can pick up, the better it is for them.
“If we don’t have volume, we don’t make money. To see a pile like this makes one smile,” said Allen.
Jacobs said in some cases, special events are scheduled to coincide with pickup.
“I’ve been to places that host special recycling parties, with prizes for bringing in the most, etc. It makes recycling fun. A lot of towns do fall and spring pickups. It helps keep this stuff out of the landfills and off private property and out of ditches,” said Jacobs.
Jacobs’ facility dismantles each piece of equipment, recycling every usable element.
“There’s 20-30 pounds of lead in each older television. There’s barium and other elements when you break the (picture) tube,” he said. “We still see a lot of console TVs being discarded.”
“We’re getting a lot of floor models. Many of them come in still working,” noted Allen.
Jacobs said recent concerns over mining is another reason he finds his work rewarding.
“There are various rare-earth elements in computers and other components — all computer chips contain rare-earth elements. They’re expensive to mine. By recycling and extracting them, we can help keep production costs down,” said Jacobs. “It’s nice when we can recycle.”
Warren is currently looking for space to store unwanted electronics, since his storage facility has limited room.
Jacobs said reducing e-waste is more than just a job, it’s a responsibility he takes very seriously. “It keeps us busy, but more importantly, it keeps a lot of tonnage out of landfills.”
“We’re a state representative for manufacturers — printers, televisions, computer monitors — to recycle products. We contract to recycle such items. I hope in time there’ll be programs to recycle all electronics,” said Jacobs.
Warren received confirmation late last week in the form of a certificate of recycling that Electronics End had recycled what was collected in Presque Isle. He plans more collections in the future.
“I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone that contributed to our Computer & Electronics Recycling Day on the 11th. We recycled 43 computer monitors, 22 TVs and 4,200 pounds of assorted computers and other electronics,” said Warren in an e-mail.
For more information about Electronics End and the recycling program, call Jacobs at 649-8921 or visit electronicsend.com. For more information on Greenmark’s efforts to recycle electronics or if you have storage space to spare, call 227-7649 or e-mail info@greenmarkit.com.
