Everyday Is Earth Day For GreenCitizen

If you think Earth Day only comes once a year, think again.

Going green has become a common trend nowadays and various organizations and companies in Mountain View offer their expertise about sustainability everyday.

GreenCitizen, a local Mountain View company, recycles old electronics that vary from smartphones to household appliances.

"The vision of GreenCitizen is to address the electronic recycling crises in a very fundamental way," said James Kao, CEO of GreenCitizen.

According to Kao, no one really thought about what to do with their electronic devices after they had finished using them. Not the consumer, manufacturer, or the government. And each American household averages about 24 electronic products such as a personal computer, mobile phone, television and e-readers, explained Jackie Jusko, a spokeswoman for GreenCitizen.

Kao—who started GreenCitizen after watching a documentary of landfills filled with toxic electronic materials in Africa China and the Phillipines—created a business that he hopes is convenient for consumers and businesses to dispose of electronics, and help them find refurbished products.

According to Jusko, recycling drop-off services are free for consumers and businesses and businesses that recycle 10 or more qualifying items can also receive free pickup of those items. However, there is a fee for data security services/hard-disk destruction.

As of now, Burlingame-based GreenCitizen has 37 employees spread across four locations in the Bay Area. The site in Mountain View at 2500 W. El Camino Real their newest. They will eventually expand and have more locations convenient to other communities. Angel investors privately funded GreenCitizen and according to Bloomberg News, it's already a profitable company.

GreenCitizen also fundraises to help schools and non-profit organizations by hosting e-waste recycling events.

"They work with volunteers at various events," said Jusko. "In addition, 10 high school students volunteer with the company. For every 30 hours they work, they earn a laptop to give to children/families in need."

As certified B-Corporation, GreenCitizen is dedicated to helping consumers and businesses reduce their environmental footprint through proper disposal management of their unwanted or obsolete electronics

"We want to finish that model in the Bay Area and ideally, with enough support, replicate it in other major cities," said Kao, "And eventually bring free electronics recycling nationwide."

This article was produced through a collaboration of PatchU and the School of Journalism & Mass Communication at San Jose State University. PatchU is a Patch Media initiative to build strong relationships with colleges and universities across the country. The mission of PatchU is to connect students and faculty to opportunities at Patch.  

For more information, email PatchU@patch.com or follow us on Facebook.

More on Mountain View Patch:

• 20 Ways to Go Green in 2013
• You Said it! How Do You Go 'Green'?
• Charge Your Electric Car in Mountain View
• The Latest Employee Perk: Electric Vehicles

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