Making a significant impact within our community, TradeWinds has collected and recycled over 6,800 computers and associated items totaling 142,000 pounds of e-waste while employing more than a dozen workers with disabilities to get the job done.
As a registered Collector and Recycler for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Indiana E-Cycle program since October 2013, TradeWinds annually reports all electronic waste handled in its facility, according to Helen Rutkowski, TradeWinds Industries/Pre-Vocational Services Director.
“TradeWinds began its Computer Recycling program as a result of long-term Board Member Larry Alt’s initiative to link TradeWinds management staff with an R2/RIOS certified recycler, Technology Recyclers Inc., that handles the downstream recycling processes,” she explained. “In line with TradeWinds’ mission, the Computer Recycling line of business provides enhanced training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities as they develop skills to maximize their potential and reach an optimum goal of community employment.”
During the past 2 ½ years, TradeWinds workers have earned $8.10/hour recycling computers. Job positions are currently part-time with the goal of increasing them to full-time as donations and business increase.
“Recently, Technology Recyclers provided TradeWinds with an industrial electronic shredder that enables our work crews to mobilize their operation on-site at company locations,” Rutkowski explained. “In accordance with today’s strict data destruction and electronic waste standards, TradeWinds is able to electronically shred hard drives prior to taking computer towers and laptops back to our agency to dismantle and recycle.”
TradeWinds Computer Recycling service is free with certificates of hard drive destruction that include a list of the computer’s serial numbers provided to individual donors and companies for their records.
Computer donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm at TradeWinds, 3198 East 83rd Place, Merrillville. Free pickup and mobile service is now available to businesses, schools and non-profits with 10 or more computers to donate. Call 219.945.0100, ext. 226 for more information.