Expert Q&As

We caught up with Trace Feinstein to discuss the importance of proper e-waste recycling.

What does E-Scrap do?
We are a true end-of-life computer and electronics recycling company based in Long Island, New York. Whenever you recycle e-waste, there are two issues that need to be addressed; hazardous materials and security concerns. Up until recently, most people were throwing their electronics in the garbage which then gets sent to a landfill. Computers that don't wind up in the trash can end up in the hands of people who mine hard drives for personal information. Everything we take in is completely shredded first to eliminate the security issue. When it comes out of our machines, we are then able to recover all of the precious metals and plastics which are then sold as commodities to companies that turn those materials into new products.

There are a bunch of companies out there calling themselves computer recyclers but function more like asset management companies. They'll take your computer--sometimes they'll even take it for free--and they'll basically sell it on Ebay or they'll ship it overseas. We don't think that's true computer recycling. Another supposed "recycling" method is when someone dismantles a computer by hand, sells anything of value, and then throws away the rest of the machine. The biggest thing that we face today is educating people about how they can dispose of electronics the correct way. We tell all of our clients that anything with a battery or a cord other than kitchen appliances would basically fall under the category of e-waste. People always ask about their cell phones or radios or ipods. Anything with a battery or a cord other than kitchen appliances is acceptable in our facility.

What percentage of the computers that you recycle wind up in landfills?
We have a zero landfill policy. Nothing that we take in ends up in a landfill. We probably recycle about 99.9 percent of all electronics we take in. We even recycle the dust. We have large dust collectors on our machinery that capture particles which are then sent to companies that recover the precious metals from that dust.

What about less valuable materials like plastic?
The plastic on most electronics is called ABF plastic. We actually sell that plastic to a company in California that uses it to build sound-proof walls.

You also recycle fluorescent bulbs, correct?
Yes. We just got into that because so many of our customers were asking about it. Basically, it's an adjunct to what we do. Fluorescent bulbs cannot just be disposed of in the garbage because they contain a lot of mercury they also contain lead.

Who do you service?
We service schools, townships, hospitals, and banks; but just about anybody is a potential client because almost every business today uses computers. Companies are always updating their computers. Today we're seeing a lot of cathode ray tube monitors being swapped out for flat screens and flat panel monitors. So, we are seeing a lot of CRTs from our customers. In 2009 they are actually passing a law that will prohibit the production of tube televisions, so we are preparing ourselves for a large push on tube televisions coming to our facility.

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