Electronics recycler spots new life in components of dead devices

Peer over the fence at American Ewaste Recyclers and you’ll think you’ve spotted an electronics graveyard.

Mountains of computers, VCRS, microwave ovens and other electronic devices rise out of the yard along South Washington.

Owner Todd McGee sees not an end for the devices, but rather a new beginning for precious metals and other components that can be recycled.

And most people who come by are just happy to have a place where they can get rid of their old electronics without paying a fee at the dump.

“This is just real handy,” said Bruce Barley, who dropped off a hatchback full of old electronic goods there Wednesday. Before driving off he added: “You walk through the yard, you’re not going to believe what’s in there.”

Only if you’re not used to seeing a couple of acres of printers, big-screen TVs, refrigerators, air-conditioners and adding machines (along with the odd leaf blower and coffee maker) piled up in the open air.

McGee and a former partner started the business 11 years ago. McGee said he was dissatisfied with what other area electronics recyclers were doing. One tried to resell the devices as used; another took a handling fee and then threw them away.

“We decided we could do this a lot better,” he said.

The company’s first big sale was a semitrailer full of computer motherboards, to a buyer in Texas.

“They sent us a hefty check and that’s what kicked off this business,” he said.

McGee thinks the best approach for the environment is to salvage everything that can be recycled for new goods, then responsibly dispose of the rest. McGee said he and his two employees break most of the goods down into components, filling barrels with hard drives, batteries and copper wiring, and sell them to companies such as Glickman Metal Recycling, which are further “downstream” the recycling process.

About half the items come from individuals such as Barley who pull up in the alley behind American Ewaste to see whether McGee will accept their old stuff. McGee said the answer is yes for “basically anything you plug into the wall or put a battery into.”

There’s no fee except for older televisions with picture tubes ($20 or $30, depending on the size) and microwave ovens ($10). About half the items come from individuals and the rest from businesses, schools and other organizations.

On Wednesday, for instance, the company hauled back 80 computers that had been used in Pizza Huts. There’s no charge for pickups at businesses and schools; a $25 charge applies to residential pickups.

McGee said the computers contain aluminum, silver, gold and copper worth about $1.10.

“It is definitely a volume business. That’s why we have so much.”

And never more than at this time of year. McGee said winter is slow for his business.

“No one’s interested in dragging their stuff out.”

During the summer, on the other hand, he said, “it gets crowded in here.” Which seemed like an understatement as his employees searched for a place to stack the old Pizza Hut computers.

McGee said he has to comply with environmental regulations related to groundwater contamination and hazardous waste, as well as privacy concerns of some clients, which requires him to drill holes in old hard drives to keep information from being retrieved from them.

A computer enthusiast since before he was a teen, McGee appears capable of quickly identifying any of the 10,000 or so electronics items he has on hand at any one time. He admits he occasionally gets intrigued enough by certain items that they don’t immediately get processed for recycling.

“We see some stuff that should go to ‘American Pickers,’” he said.

This story was originally published June 17, 2015 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Electronics recycler spots new life in components of dead devices."