Fresno State To Provide Community E-Waste Recycling Program

California State University, Fresno and Electronic Recyclers of America (ERA) announced today (Dec. 1) collaboration to provide a convenient electronic waste (e-waste) recycling option for Central California residents.

Fresno State has received certification as a state-approved collector for e-waste and will offer monthly recycling dates to the public for drop-off of such items as computer monitors, televisions, cell phones and PDAs. Some items will be accepted without charge while others will be subject to drop-off fees. Fresno State is the only university in California that is a registered collector for e-waste.

The first community drop-off dates at Fresno State will be Jan. 20-21 in Lot V (northwest corner of Shaw and Woodrow Avenues) Drop-off dates will be held monthly, initially, with frequency increasing according to public interest.

Electronic Recyclers of America (formerly named Computer Recyclers of America) is based in Vista near San Diego. It recently opened California's largest and most advanced e-waste recycling facility in southwest Fresno. The site can process up to 5 million tons of electronic waste a month. The facility de-manufactures, recycles and crushes cathode ray tubes found in computer monitors, televisions and other types of video equipment. Its cathode ray tube crushers can process more than 1,500 units per hour.

ERA's president is local Fresno businessman John S. Shegerian, who was the successful co-founder of financialaid.com, a leading higher education finance firm, and Bulldog Brewing Company. Now considered the State's leading expert on electronic waste recycling, he recently returned from a trip accompanying Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to China representing the electronic waste recycling industry.

Electronic Recyclers of America already offers recycling solutions to municipalities, Fortune 500 Companies, mid- and small-sized businesses, healthcare, financial and entertainment industries.

All items Fresno State receives will be transported to the ERA's Fresno facility where all waste received will be de-manufactured and recycled. ERA's unique bar coded reports, and Certificates of Assured Destruction (COAD) will ensure all materials are being disposed of properly, and remove liability from customers.

The service also protects personal security by thoroughly destroying discarded hard drives and other data storage devices which are frequently used by criminals to obtain banking information, phone numbers, and private databases. Many computer users mistakenly believe that such data is permanently erased from their hard drives when they reformat or erase their computer files. Actually such information can be easily recovered. The e-waste program eliminates that possibility by physically destroying hard drives and other data storage devices making them unreadable.

Fresno State President John D. Welty said Fresno State is proud to be in the forefront of dealing with an important environmental concern. He said the campus sought approval as an e-waste collector as part of the university's commitment to environmental responsibility and the promotion of sustainable practices in Central California. Fresno State is also a leader in the San Joaquin Valley in clean air and water efforts and traditional recycling.

"As Central California works to rapidly expand its technology-based industries the availability of this new service will help ensure this region deals with e-waste in a responsible manner," Welty said.

The university selected ERA because of its commitment to offering an environmentally safe solution to the increasing problem of electronic waste, said Fresno State Vice President for Administration Cythnia Teniente-Matson. Fresno State had been contracting with ERA to recycle campus e-waste, she said.

Shegerian said, "As a longtime member of the Fresno business community, and a booster of Fresno State, I am particularly proud of the University's groundbreaking move to action on the increasing problem of electronic waste. Fresno State's commitment is a powerful statement and an indication of what is one of the fastest growing American industries and further identifies Fresno as the leader of a trend that will bring a cleaner environment to our communities."

Information about fees and drop off rules and locations is available at www.FresnoStateNews.com.

Contacts:
Fresno State: Shirley Melikian Armbruster, (559) 278-5292 or (559) 593-1815
Computer Recylers of America: Chrissy Coughlin, (202) 253-7538