Going Green Computers will be holding its 1st annual Electronic Recycling Event for the City of Pekin and surrounding areas. This event will be sponsored by the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce.

When: Friday, September 16, 8:00am – 12pm for businesses, and also Saturday from 8am – 12pm for residents.

Where: Big R Parking Lot

Items that will be accepted are: TV, Monitors, Computers, laptops, Keyboards, mice, printers, DVD, VCR and other misc items.

Donations will be accepted at the event.

GateHouse News Service  Posted Nov 06, 2010 @ 08:00 AM 

What do you do with that old computer once your shiny new one arrives?

Bradley Frick, owner of Going Green Computers in Pekin, Ill., has the answer.Frick’s company takes personal computers, laptops and other electronics and recycles them to keep the waste out of the already crowded and growing landfills.According to the text of the Illinois Disposal Ban, “electronic products are the fastest growing portion of the solid waste stream. In 2005, 2,600,000 tons of electronic products became obsolete, yet only 13 percent of those products were recycled.”Beginning Jan. 1, it will be illegal to dump electronics into landfills. This waste does not break down in landfills.“I’m trying to take a proactive approach by getting the word out that we, as a community, need to recycle now, rather than wait until the last minute and then try and figure out what to do,” Frick said,It all began in March 2009 as a hobby. “Then I saw a need. The more I worked on (computers), the more I researched it online I realized there is a need for recycling in this area. There aren’t many companies in the area that actually do it,” Frick said.He remembered seeing the mess with another company and “it made me realize they’re destroying the environment with what they’re doing and, to me, as a father and citizen of this community, I wanted to make a difference.”With his desire to help the environment, Frick got to work. He earned a degree from Midstate College in computer science. Then, with a little encouragement from friends, he started Going Green Computer in his home.He contacted local businesses and school districts to “share his vision with them as far as keeping everything out of the landfill,” he said.The first contact he had that was interested in recycling was Midwest Central High School in Manito, Ill.Gina Oeft, who works for the information technology department at the school, said the district used to recycle old computers with the company they purchased them from because they had a lease program.“Going Green Computers are awesome. We call and they come to us. He takes anything. Last year we got all new computers at the high school and he helped with all 70 of them. It’s great! I would definitely recommend them. I like having our contract with them because he’s local and I know our waste isn’t ending up in the landfill,” Oeft said.“Rather than simply getting a contract with a company, a personal touch and educating people is a huge part of a successful business,” Frick said. As a result, he likes teaching people about electronic waste, or e-waste.The computer “monitors are taken down near the St. Louis area and I take those down about once a month, but the rest gets recycled somewhat locally. Everything else gets stripped down and goes to certain places,” said Frick.Last fall was the first time Going Green Computers participated in Spruce Up Pekin. Since then, his business has tripled.Tom Coogan, a support analyst at Pekin Hospital, said he’s very satisfied with the work Going Green Computers does for the hospital.“It was the perfect fit for both of us. We, at the hospital, try to support local businesses when we can. We were happy to work with him. As a result, I’ve referred him to Spoon River College and Graham Hospital in Canton (Ill.). We also like that Going Green Computers takes old computers and can fix them up and sell them for less than a brand new one, so those who can’t afford a new computer can still buy one,” Coogan said.Frick has been the one who has made all the contacts, driven to the sites to collect the materials, broken everything down, and taken it where it needs to go. He is certified through the state as a collector for the Environmental Protection Agency and last month (in October) recycled between 20,000-30,000 pounds of electronics. Those numbers, according to Frick, “are a lot for me.”When he ships something, he reuses packaging materials from Office Max, rather than purchase new materials.“Styrofoam never breaks down, so why not reuse it? There’s nothing wrong with it, so I reuse it when I ship our packages,” Frick said.In addition to recycling computers, Frick gives back to the community. He presented a seminar at the Pekin Public Library to teach people basic computer skills. He has also donated computers to the House of Hope, a local women’s shelter. What started as an idea to refurbish old computers turned into a local business that is counting on the community to recycle electronics, rather than simply throw them away.

“To save our environment one computer at a time”.

     

From left: Sally Aukamp, Brad Frick, and Robert Bagby