Albuquerque Computer & Electronics Recycling Co. exists to prevent e-waste from entering landfills in Albuquerque and all over the nation. Their storefront is always open for electronics drop-offs and they do electronics pick-ups for businesses nationally. But due to COVID, it had been a few years since they had been able to do a public event. On Earth Day, April 22, 2022, they teamed up with the HP campus in Rio Rancho, NM to host their first recycling event since before the pandemic.
To learn more about Albuquerque Computer & Electronics Recycling, visit: https://albuquerquerecycling.net/.
The recycling event took place from 9 am - 1 pm and was open to the public, as well as HP employees. To make sure that everyone was still safe, they had a clear drop-off route mapped out on the HP property to prevent crowds from gathering or unneeded interactions. Throughout the four-hour donation time, community members donated 1,000 pounds of e-waste.
Albuquerque Computer & Electronics Recycling Co.’s Operations Manager, Phil Nairn, explained,
“It was just so nice to see so many smiling faces,” referring to the mask mandate being lifted by the New Mexico governor in February 2022.
The public recycling event is hopefully just the first of many events as restrictions have been lifted and many people are more willing to come to public events.
At the event with HP, Albuquerque Computer & Electronics Recycling Co. collected all sorts of electronics, including smartphones, laptops, computers, small kitchen appliances, TVs, and home office equipment. Many items, both at the event and at their brick and mortar, are free to recycle. Some items have a small processing fee per pound to help the company cover its costs.