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EPA Partners With BestBuy to Recycle Electronics as Part of Ongoing Hurricane Katrina Cleanup Efforts

Release Date: 03/04/2006
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – Mar. 4, 2006) Today, EPA and Best Buy teamed up to increase collection and safe recycling of computers and other electronic equipment destroyed by the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The recycling event coincided with the Jackson County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event at the Singing River Mall at 2800 Highway 90 in Gautier, Miss. This month, Best Buy also will collect and pay for the environmentally safe recycling of computers, monitors and televisions that are currently held in certain staging areas in the county.

Best Buy will accept any make or model of computer and related equipment, including computers, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, laptops, and cables. Consumers are asked to remove all data from their computer's hard drive if possible. Best Buy will also take television sets. Additionally, Best Buy will deliver $5 million in computer donations in March 2006 to schools damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in Greater New Orleans and Mississippi.

“We applaud the efforts of Best Buy in helping to relieve some of the burden of recycling the unprecedented amount of electronic waste generated by Hurricane Katrina on the Mississippi Coast,” said Jimmy Palmer, EPA Regional Administrator in Atlanta. “While recycling electronic waste takes more time and labor, this effort is about protecting human health and the environment.”

“We appreciate the efforts of Best Buy and EPA in helping with the debris disposal issue on the Gulf Coast,” said Charles Chisolm, Executive Director of MDEQ. “Recycling damaged electronic equipment in Jackson County is a great idea, and we commend Best Buy for their assistance."

Best Buy is an original partner in the Plug-In to eCycling partnership. Formed in 2002, the partnership aims to increase the safe recycling of used electronic products by encouraging private and public sector partners to advertise, promote, or provide actual opportunities to recycle old consumer electronics. More information about the Plug-In program and its partners is at: http://epa.gov/rcc/plugin.

EPA's cooperation with Best Buy in this effort does not imply or constitute endorsement of Best Buy products and services. EPA is willing to work with other companies in similar efforts to ensure that these and other materials are recycled responsibly.