Crutchfield cleans up with recycling program

Computers are easy to buy, but they can be difficult to unload. Consumers can donate relatively new products to schools or nonprofit organizations, but most people wait for once-a-year, community-recycling programs to rid their homes and offices of computers and other electronic gadgets. Unfortunately, a growing number of folks dump their electronic junk at landfills, where the castoffs risk contaminating the environment with toxic chemicals such as lead and mercury.

Recognizing a market niche, Crutchfield Corp., an electronics retailer based in Charlottesville, recently opened a year-round recycling center at its Rio Hill store. Since Aug. 1, the program has collected more than 30 tons of old equipment. "We're getting a tremendous amount of business," says Jude DeFrank, director of Crutchfield's retail division.

Crutchfield ships the collected items to Supreme Computer and Electronic Recycling in New Jersey. That company, certified by the Environmental Protection Agency, cleans the computer hard drives of any identifying information.
The recycling program is not a money maker for Crutchfield, but the company charges fees to cover its expenses. For example, Crutchfield charges $8 to recycle a computer CPU, $10 for a microwave oven and $20 for a console TV.

Customers buying new electronic equipment at Crutchfield can have the old equipment they are replacing recycled for free. The company also offers free recycling to schools and nonprofits when those organizations collect donations that are outdated or broken.