FAQ for 10/22

A lot of questions have come in about the upcoming electronics recycling event. If you have more questions, please comment below or send an email!


Q: Why can't I bring and air conditioners? What can I do with them?
A:  Air conditioners contain freon (CFC), which causes destruction to the ozone. There are regulations in place for safely handling appliances with freon. To responsibly dispose of your unwanted air conditioner, check out the Central Hudson takeback program. If you want to buy a new unit, you'll get $50-$100 towards a new, Energy-Star certified air conditioner from Sears (Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Kingston)! You don't even have to purchase an AC, you can just drop them off. This program runs from June 19 - September 30, and you can recyclue up to 4 units per year. Call (866) 706-3995 or visit their site to find out if the program is still running.

A word about refrigerators & freezers: if they work - see Central Hudson's takeback program. Central Hudson will come and get it, and give you a $50 rebate. You can recycle two units per year with this program, but keep in mind that it's first come, first served until their funding runs out. It might cost $10 to dispose of, but I'm not postive. Call 866-706-3995 for more information, or see this form to get started.


Q: Why can't I bring smoke detectors?
A: Most modern detectors have a radioactive substance in them, Americium 241. The vast majority of smoke detectors are made by First Alert Corporation. Send old detectors to First Alert, Radioactive Waste Disposal, 780 McClure Rd, Aurora, IL 60504-2495, 1-800-323-9005. Others are made by a Canadian firm called American Sensors, call them at 1-800-387-4219 for information. These companies sell detectors under many different brand names, and can dispose of any of them. Remember to send detectors by surface mail or UPS Ground so they don't end up in an airplane.


Q: Where is the event happening?
A: Right off Route 9D in Beacon, in the City Hall Parking Lot. It's less than a mile away from the Newburgh-Beacon bridge. Here's a google map!


Q: What happens to my data? Should I take the hard drive out of my computer?
A: It's safe to leave the hard drive in for this event. The reason why folks say you should take it out beforehand is because many electronics recyclers do not handle computers properly. The company that is handling the electronics for the 10/22 event is WeRecycle, and they offer total data security. Their data destruction operation is NAID-Certified and meets Department of Defense data destruction specifications. Learn more at www.werecycle.com.

*Remember, once it's gone it's gone, so save everything or keep the hard drive so you can access the information once the computer has been recycled!

Q: I'd like to donate my cellphone to be reused. How does that process work? What happens to my contacts?

A: All cellphones collected at the event, at The Coffee Shoppe Beacon and at the Beacon Natural Market first go to the 911 Cell Phone Bank. Cords and chargers do not have to be supplied by donors- they have many to match up with the phones.  Because phones are only being used as 911 emergency phones, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t ring or vibrate. All stored data is totally removed from the phones once they are processed. Once the phones are ready, they're donated to The Tri-County Crisis Center in Beacon. 

The 911 Cell Phone Bank, an initiative of the Charitable Recycling Foundation, utilizes the following procedures to clear phones prior to use as a 911 emergency use phone. 

1. The telephone number which was embedded in the phone when it came from the carrier is removed from memory and replaced with “999-999-9999”, which makes it totally untraceable. This includes both the MDN (Name 1) and the MSID (Name 2), as applicable. This allows us to complete the remaining steps.
2.  The cell phone is unlocked, access gained to the contact list, and the contents cleared and deleted.
3. All messages are deleted from memory.
4. All call lists (recent, missed, voicemail, etc) are deleted from memory.
5. All “banners” are erased and replaced with the factory default settings.
6. All graphics are erased from the system, except those that were part of the original factory settings.
7. Once all the above steps are completed, all factory settings are restored to their original default settings as the phone was originally delivered.
8. Operationally, each phone is tested to be sure that it will, in fact, make a call when necessary. Also, the charging port is checked for proper operation so the phone may be kept fully charged as necessary.

If any of the above steps cannot be fully implemented, the phone is rejected for use within the 911 Cell Phone Bank program and destroyed.



Q: What if I have something that still works? 
A: Did you try asking friends and family if they'd like to have it, or know someone who would? How about craigslist, Hudson Valley Freecycle/E-Cycle and Goodwill? If it's a computer or computer component that's less than 3 years old, PC Renew in Rockland County can take it and redistribute it to a nonprofit in need. I have a friend looking for a Macbook or iMac for an elderly person in need, and I am helping the Tri-County Crisis Center get computers to victims of domestic violence. You can help to make a difference!