Lower Saucon Township Recycler's Credentials Questioned

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that A-Plus Industry does not recycle appliances or hazardous materials. An earlier published version of this story mistakenly indicated that it does. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Lower Saucon Township has suspended work with an electronics recycling company following questions about the recycler's credentials.

The township's Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) discussed recycling certifications and permits with A-Plus Industry Inc. and Tom Dittmar, the environmental conservation coordinator for Northampton County, during its recent monthly meeting.

A-Plus Industry has recycled electronics for the township for five years, said Glorinda Cook, co-owner of the business. The company began its recycling business in the Lehigh Valley about 15 years ago.

Recently, some residents have questioned whether A-Plus has Responsible Recycling (R2) certification or not, said Sandra Yerger, chairperson of the advisory council. This issue has caused the council to suspend recycling services with A-Plus until after the issue about certification can be looked into further, Yerger said.

Cook said that certification is good and it is something her company is pursuing. She explained there have been businesses that claim to recycle, but instead simply dump the materials they collect. A-Plus doesn't charge customers for the material it collects, said Cook, who added that she thinks this might be why some people have questioned their business practices.

Bill Cook, co-owner of A-Plus, told the advisory council that, "We will eat the front-end costs, because we will make it up in the back end."

Cook explained to the council that his business model is to collect items he thinks can be disassembled and sold to various scrap markets. For instance, circuit boards have gold parts in them, he said. The wiring inside circuit boards is copper, and 99 percent of each hard drive is made from aluminum. These collected parts, when accumulated from disposed items, eventually form a quantity with real market value, he explained.

In order to keep costs down for A-Plus and continue to offer free recycling, Cook said volunteers help with collection programs. The organization hosting a recycling event handles the advertising for that event, he added.

The only item he does charge to recycle is computer monitors, Cook said. These cost $10 each.

Glorinda Cook said A-Plus has all of its Department of Environmental Protection permits and hopes to get its R2 certification--which is not mandatory, but recommended--soon.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Responsible Recycling (R2) certification is recommended for companies that focus on recycling "cathode ray tubes (CRTs) and CRT glass; circuit boards (unless they have had batteries and mercury-containing items removed and are lead-free); batteries; and items containing mercury and/or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), both in EOL equipment and when separated as components."

A-Plus does not accept appliances or hazardous materials for recycling, Glorinda Cook said. Instead, the company focuses on recycling IC and semi-conductors, or "the little parts within circuit boards," she said. Its target customers are businesses, she added.

Yerger acknowledged that certifications and other new requirements by state and federal Department of Environmental Protection agencies have left many involved with environmental issues scrambling to comply and to learn about the requirements.

Tom Dittmar, the environmental conservation coordinator for Northampton County, said the Northampton County Recycling Center is R2 certified. He listed for the council what types of materials they accept and how much people pay to have hazardous materials taken away. Recycling passenger tires can cost $1.50 to $2 and truck tires can cost $5. The cost passed on to consumers goes toward paying for labor costs and equipment, he explained. Tires are one of several items considered to be a hazardous material.

In an effort to collect hazardous materials, Dittmar said the Northampton County recycling program has planned four collection programs in 2011. The first is scheduled for May 21 at Easton Area High School, followed by one on June 4 at Washington Township Elementary School, another on Oct. 1 at the Nazareth Intermediate School and a final collection on Oct. 8 at Northampton Community College (NCC) in Bethlehem Township.

Last year, the organization collected 2,000 tires at NCC alone, Dittmar said. He hopes 2011 will bring in even more tires.