Newark Residents and Business Owners Contribute to E-Waste Collection Event in the Ironbound District

Newark residents and business owners took advantage of a free e-waste collection event in the Ironbound District’s Peter Francisco Park to empty their closets and drawers of thousands of pounds of old, unused electronics. The event, presented in partnership by the City of Newark, the Ironbound Business Improvement District (IBID), Panasonic, Covanta and Urban Renewal Corp. in honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, made it convenient and easy to recycle old TVs, PCs and laptops, printers, small household appliances, phones and other e-waste.

Additional events are being planned for the South Ward on May 25^th in Weequahic Park, June 15^th in the West Ward’s Liberty Park (Central Avenue and West Market Street) and October 4^th in Elwood Park in the North Ward.

“Our partnership has had a significant impact in the Ironbound District and beyond, with many truckloads of e-waste coming from the East Ward and other parts of Newark,” said Seth A. Grossman, the IBID’s Executive Director. “Many people realize it is important to remove electronic products from the waste stream but don’t know how or where to dispose of them properly. That’s why this service is so important to the Ironbound and the City of Newark.”

“E-waste collection and recycling helps preserve valuable resources while protecting our environment,” noted David Thompson, Director, Environmental Department, Panasonic Corporation of North America. “Panasonic is particularly pleased to work with the great partners that made this event a success.”

“At Covanta, we champion sustainable waste management and the 4Rs - reduce, reuse, recycle and recover Energy-from-Waste. Recycling electronics properly is extremely important in protecting our planet and recovering valuable natural resources,” said Gordon Burgoyne of Covanta. “As a member of the Newark community, Covanta is pleased to be working with these distinguished partners who are all deeply committed to making a difference in the lives of our fellow citizens.”

In addition to contributing to a cleaner environment, the events also create opportunities for disadvantaged people in Newark and beyond through the programs of Urban Renewal Corp. where individuals learn the skills to not only recycle old electronic equipment, but also to diagnose and repair computers.

For more information about programs and services provided by the Ironbound Business Improvement District, visit www.goironbound.com. You can also follow news from the Ironbound District through social media at www.facebook.com/goironbound.