Thurston Hartford, president and chief executive officer of Ewaste Technology, said that one area that the company’s intention will be in the household and small business sector, areas typically not followed by many electronics recycling firms.
The company plans to pursue working with the various chambers of commerce to develop programs to bring in material from many of the companies and people affiliated with those organizations.
Additionally providing electronics recycling services, Hartford adds that the company is providing protection against data loss and identity theft risks.
Hartford added, This is the beginning of a new era in recycling right here in Rhode Island. Discarded electronics and appliances should never end up in a landfill or get dumped in a river in China where the materials contained within can pollute the environment.
ETM Green gathers and process many types of electronics for recycling consisting of (but not limited to): television sets, CPUs, copiers, printers, fax machines, stereos, DVD players, cell phones, digital cameras, telephones, game systems, and many household appliances.
As this is the first ETM facility, Hartford notes that he has a background in the electronics recycling industry, having opened another facility several years ago before selling that.
His curiosity in re-entering the electronics recycling industry came with a meeting with angel investors, who were looking to invest in green industry.
Along with some private financing, the company also found good success with some financing programs with the city of Cranston, which offered the company a low interest loan to open the facility.
While Ewaste Technology currently has 17 employees, they are looking to add more staff as the company grows its business.
