One of today’s most perplexing problems, (and there are so many), is what to do with electronic waste or e-waste, the detritus of our very existence. Certainly we need the electronic products…everything from computers to keyboards to printers, etc., but when they’re outmoded or no longer wanted, where do they go? What do we do with them? Often they go into landfills and pose environmental threats by putting dangerous elements into the landfill that future generations will have to deal with. Or they can become candidates for recycling. In an effort to better understand the scope of the problem and potential solutions, Mr. Philip Fava of eGreen Recycling http://egreenrecyclingmanagement.com recently spoke to the NSWCA. The meeting was hosted by Greenlawn Water District Commissioners John McLaughlin, Bill Wieck and Jim Logan.
An environmental recycling authority, Mr. Philip Fava is President and CEO of eGreen Recycling Management (Coram, NY). He is also former Co-Chair of NY Chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). In stressing the importance of recycling of all types he stated, “Our modern society produces incomprehensible amounts of recyclable waste, from ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal to plastic scrap, cardboard and paper, as well as precious metals. What happens to universal waste like batteries, light bulbs or e-waste such as computers, scanners and printers when they are no longer wanted? We must account for and recycle it all.”
Mr. Fava also zeroed in on electronic e-waste citing its potential dangers and eminent recyclability. “Further”, he said, “the importance of erasing computer hard drives securely and completely to remove all data from storage devices can’t be understated.” He noted that eGreen Recycling “provides detailed reporting of erasure and auditable, verifiable assurance that all data was sanitized in compliance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and all other existing standards”.
The meeting concluded with a lively question and answer session.
L to R: Water Commissioners Andrew Bader (Plainview, NY); Raymond Averna (Massapequa, NY); Philip Fava eWasteRecycling; Water Commissioners Vin Abbatiello (Westbury, NY) and Bill Schuckmann, (Hicksville, NY).