USA (MNN) — Comprenew Environmental, a division of Worldwide Christian Schools, is doing their part to avoid overfilling landfills, while helping children learn at the same time.
By refurbishing and selling old electronics, Comprenew is able give 100 percent of their profits to fund technology and educational needs around the world.
They service all of Michigan and have about 500 active customers. They sell the refurbished items on their e-thrift store–items that are first collected through general donation and electronic recycling drives. Companies do not need to be current customers to hold a drive.
Comprenew accepts electronics free of charge, with the exception of televisions, which require a small fee. Anything with a cord, battery or circuit board is accepted, including cell phones, radios, and stereos. They also provide data-elimination services that comply with government standards, and unsuable equipment is harvested for parts.
This electronic recycling is beneficial in several ways. With the metal shortage growing, re-use is more practical than searching out new resources. Also, throwing e-waste into landfills causes mercury and lead to be released into the environment. Those toxins are especially harmful when they leach into the water supply. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 20 million personal computers were made obsolete in 1998, and of those, only 13 percent were reused or recycled.
Comprenew is also helping their local community in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Comprenew Academy provides training to inner-city students to help them learn teamwork and responsible behavior.
Comprenew's Director of Business Developmennt, Lynell Shooks, helps students learn that "you don't have to chain yourself to a tree" to be environmentally responsible.
