CRRA Adds Hartford, Litchfield Dates to Electronics Recycling/Paper Shredding Schedule

Subhead for News Release

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority, Connecticut’s recycling leader, is offering more opportunities to safely recycle those old boxes of papers and worn-out electronic devices that seem to accumulate in basements, attics and garages.

In addition to the five dates announced in March, CRRA now has two more events scheduled:

• Saturday, May 14, in Hartford, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the CRRA Trash Museum, 211 Murphy Road.
• Saturday, June 25, in Litchfield, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Litchfield High School, 14 Plumb Hill Road.

The full schedule is on CRRA’s website.

These collections are open only to residents of towns that participate in CRRA’s Mid-Connecticut Project. Residents of other communities who want to recycle their electronics should call their local public works departments or electronics retailers or check with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for other recycling opportunities.

Since CRRA began its electronics recycling program in 1999, more than 51,000 families have recycled more than 6.1 million pounds of electronics. These families recognize that not only do electronics not go in the trash, but they also must be kept out of curbside recycling bins.

Lately, many residents, increasingly concerned with identity theft, asked CRRA how they could safely recycle their old papers.

“More and more people are telling us they just cleaned out their parents’ attic and have boxes of old paper to recycle but need it shredded,” explained Thomas P. Gaffey, CRRA’s head of recycling. “People need the peace of mind that personal information is safeguarded so we’re delighted to be able to offer this bulk shredding service, which will also save people the chore of running all that material through a small home paper shredder.”

CRRA has contracted with Cheshire-based SHRED-IT to provide this service. Residents of participating towns can bring SHRED-IT anything made of paper, especially items that could be used to steal an identity. Plastics must be removed before bringing the paper for recycling.

For electronics recycling, CRRA contracts with Eco International, the nation’s leader in electronics recycling, to keep these items out of the waste stream. At its facility in Vestal, N.Y., Eco dismantles items into raw materials, such as copper, steel, aluminum, glass and plastic, and sells these materials to firms who turn them into new products.

The remaining spring schedule:

• Saturday, May 14, in Hartford, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the CRRA Trash Museum, 211 Murphy Road.
• Saturday, May 21, in Watertown, 9 a.m, to 1 p.m. at the CRRA transfer station, Echo Lake Road (west of Exit 37, Route 8).
• Saturday, June 18, in Enfield, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Stanley Jablonski Public Works Complex, 40 Moody Road.
• Saturday, June 25, in Litchfield, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Litchfield High School, 14 Plumb Hill Road.

Additional collections may be scheduled. The complete schedule is always available at http://www.crra.org/pages/schedule_electronics.htm .

Due to the expiration of the Bridgeport Project and Wallingford Project, CRRA no longer provides electronics recycling in or for the following cities and towns: Bethany, Bridgeport, Cheshire, Darien, East Haven, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Hamden, Meriden, Milford, Monroe, New Canaan, North Haven, Norwalk, Orange, Shelton, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Wallingford, Weston, Westport, Wilton and Woodbridge.

The Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority is a quasi-public agency whose mission is to work for – and in – the best interests of the municipalities of the state of Connecticut. CRRA’s board of directors and management team develop and implement environmentally sound solutions and best practices for solid waste disposal and recycling management on behalf of municipalities. CRRA serves more than 100 Connecticut cities and towns. CRRA also runs sustainability education programs through the Trash Museum in Hartford and Garbage Museum in Stratford. Computer users can also discuss CRRA at its blog.

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