Earth Day is coming up on April 22, and what better way to celebrate than by helping to protect our planet by participating in an electronics recycling drive? You might be surprised at how easy it is to be eco-friendly with simple tasks like recycling, taking small steps to conserve energy and opting for more environmentally friendly products. Do your part for the environment by recycling! Here are some options for recycling electronics and other hard to recycle items:

Electronics Recycling Drive
Saturday, April 24, 2021 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Computer Museum of America
5000 Commerce Parkway, Roswell, GA 30076

The Electronics Recycling Drive hosted by Computer Museum of America, New Life Technology Group and TECH Alpharetta takes place this Saturday. This group has partnered to hold a contactless electronics recycling drop off.  So, drop by to safely dispose of unused devices that would otherwise harm the environment, and then keep up the good work with a few eco-friendly tips that can suit any lifestyle. Bring your used electronics! Data destruction is guaranteed. Flat screen TVs have a $20 disposal fee per TV. As always, they do not accept CRT (tube) TVs, CRT (tube) monitors, DLP/Rear Projection TVs, Large appliances, AC units or Thermostats.

The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM)
Open Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. by appointment only

To drop items off at CHaRM, you must have an appointment. You can book an appointment ont he website. Please read all guidelines below before arriving at CHaRM:

• All materials must be pre-sorted.
• Styrofoam and plastic film must be bagged.
• Cash will not be accepted for payment. Venmo, Paypal and credit cards are accepted.

The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) is a service offered by Live Thrive Atlanta, an Atlanta-based nonprofit started in 2009 with a vision to create a community that cares about a healthy and sustainable environment. CHaRM takes any and all electronics at its collection facilities. A common fear amongst electronics owners is the information on these devices. People do not want to throw out electronics that could potentially have vital information on them. Live Thrive Atlanta and CHaRM have a rigorous process to ensure no information is left on these devices. As soon as the electronics are given to the partner facility to recycle, they are put through three different magnetic machines to completely wipe off any information or data. In addition, useful devices such as phones and laptops are donated to students and families in need. The need for these electronics has grown since the beginning of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and the implementation of virtual learning.

Other items CHaRM accepts are styrofoam, cardboard, musical instruments, bikes, document shredding, paint, chemicals, mattresses, compost, cooking oil, tires, donations, textiles, flat glass, food-grade glass, appliances, metals, paper, books, cigarette butts and plastics.

To learn more about Live Thrive Atlanta and CHaRM, visit https://livethrive.org/charm or listen to their Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio interview on recycling. 

Live Thrive Atlanta held annual household hazardous waste collections. This included collecting items like electronics, paint, household cleaning products and other things too harmful or bulky to put at the curb.

Here are some other eco-friendly tips to help you celebrate Earth Day year-round:

Use recycling bins in your home: Make recycling easy and convenient by placing a storage bin in an easily accessible location, preferably beside the trash can. This will remind family members and guests to throw that water bottle in the recycling bin rather than in the trash. Label the bins to ensure separation of items such as glass, paper and plastic.

Power down your devices: If you’re not using an electronic source at the moment, why waste the energy (and money) of leaving it on? Hit the lights when you leave the room, unplug chargers when they’re not in use and activate power-saving settings on your computers and printers. Devices continue to consume energy even when they’re turned “off,” but there are several ways to avoid phantom power.

Ditch the plastic bottles: Bottled water is both expensive and generates significant amounts of container waste. Instead, use a water filter or Brita pitcher to purify your tap water, or collect your water in gallons from a clean, local source. To avoid buying plastic bottles, carry a reusable bottle at work and on-the-go, preferably one that is aluminum or glass with a silicon sleeve.

Make your own earth-friendly cleaning products: This tip sounds like it would require a lot of effort, but it’s surprisingly easy and inexpensive to make your own cleaning supplies with items you probably already have in your pantry. Most cleaning supplies and laundry detergents are expensive and full of toxic chemicals that make their packaging difficult to recycle. Products such as white vinegar, baking soda and even lemon are some of the most popular ingredients used in homemade cleaning products.

Use fluorescent light bulbs: Save energy in your home by replacing standard incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Standard bulbs use three times more electricity than fluorescent bulbs, but only last one-tenth as long! Not only is this replacement good for the environment, but it will also save you money and needless extra trips to the store. According to the EPA’s Energy Star program, if every household in the U.S. replaced just one light bulb with a CFL, we would save about $460 million in yearly energy costs and prevent six billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

Find your local recycling center: If your local trash service does not offer recycling pick-up, just type your zip code in to the recycling center locator to find out where you can drop off recyclables and what materials are accepted at each location. Additionally, most grocery stores and shopping malls offer recycling facilities, making it easy and convenient for you to protect the environment!

Being eco-friendly doesn’t mean you have to change your lifestyle. With just a few simple changes, you can help protect the environment and make the Earth a cleaner, healthier place. This year, celebrate Earth Day by teaching your family how to use storage bins, conserve energy by turning off electronic devices and learn the difference between toxic and safe cleaning products. These habits will instill a sense of responsibility and create a solid foundation of knowledge for an eco-friendly lifestyle.