Organizations and businesses throughout the Roanoke and New River valleys are offering e-recycling drop off points on Electronics Clean Out Day Sept. 15. Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op, Yokohoma Tire Corp. in Salem and Wade’s Supermarket in Radford and Christiansburg will be accepting donations of computers, computer equipment, small appliances and electronics. A more detailed list of accepted items can be found below. E.C.O. Day will take place from  8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Here is the press release from Goodwill Industries of the Valleys

Electronics Clean Out Day, which provides area residents with an environmentally friendly and convenient recycling option, takes place on Saturday, September 15, 2012 from 8am to 2pm.  The event, now in its third year, focuses on the recycling of computers, computer equipment, small appliances, and electronics.  In the past two years, over 28,000 lbs. of materials have been collected and kept out of area landfills.  Due to this success, ECO Day expands from one location to a total of five locations this year:

•       Roanoke:  Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op at 1319 Grandin Road SW in Grandin Village
•       Salem:  Yokohama Tire Corporation at 1500 Indiana Street
•       Christiansburg:  Wade’s Supermarket at 510 Roanoke Street
•       Radford:  Wade’s Supermarket at 401 West Main Street
•       Harrisonburg:  Friendly City Food Co-op at 150 East Wolfe Street

Drive-thru donation lanes will be set up at each location for quick, convenient, and safe donation.

The event is a collaboration between Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op, Clean Valley Council, Natural Awakenings Magazine, Friendly City Food Co-op, Yokohama Tire Corporation, Wade’s Supermarket, go green NRV, and Goodwill Industries® of the Valleys. The goal is to keep computers, computer related equipment, electronics, small appliances, and more out of area landfills and help protect the environment.

Acceptable items for the Fall E.C.O. day include, but are not limited to:

•       Desktop and Laptop Computers: any brand, any condition.  It is recommended that donors remove all data from hard drives and other storage media before donating to Goodwill.
•       Computer Related Equipment: (any brand, any condition) monitors, keyboards, printers, scanners, fax machines, ink & toner cartridges, computer cords & cables, and any other related equipment.
Small Appliances: toasters, microwaves, blenders, coffee makers, mixers, vacuums, food processors.
•       Electronics: Clocks, radios, cell phones, PDAs.
•       TVs in working condition

Goodwill® will be the recipient of donations and recyclable items.  Through Goodwill’s partnership with Dell Computers, called Dell RECONNECT™, computers and related equipment are responsibly recycled, with proceeds benefiting Goodwill job training and employment programs.  Other items collected will either be sold in local Goodwill stores or recycled responsibly with local recyclers.

“Electronics Clean Out Day is a great collaboration with local organizations and businesses that educates the public about the importance of recycling and keeping items out of area landfills,” states Mark Britain, VP Donated Goods Operations for Goodwill. “The success of the event has shown that many people welcome ECO Day as a way to recycle their old computers and electronics.  However, we also utilize the event to create awareness of the fact that we accept these items at any Goodwill Donation Center every day.”

Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, a United Way partner organization headquartered in Roanoke, serves 31 counties and 14 cities in the New River, Roanoke, and Shenandoah Valleys.  Its mission is to help people and families in our community achieve a better life through work and independence.  In 2011 Goodwill assisted 75,734 individuals through its training and employment programs and in this difficult employment market placed 2,111 people into jobs in the community.

Natural Awakenings Magazine was founded in 1994 in Naples, Florida. It has grown to a family of more than 80 locally owned publication across the US and has a combined monthly readership of 3 million people. Natural Awakenings of Southwestern Virginia was founded in 2008 and quickly became the area’s #1 resource for information about green, healthy and sustainable living. Natural Awakenings is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper using soy based ink and was the first magazine in Southwestern Virginia to further reduce their environmental impact by publish a digital version of their monthly publication. For more information, visit www.NASWVAmag.com or call 540-339-6081.

The Clean Valley Council is a non-profit organization that has served the Roanoke Valley for more than 30 years.  CVC provides educational programming and citizen participation events to spread the word about litter prevention, recycling, waste stream reduction, storm water pollution prevention and protecting our natural resources.  We are the go to resource for local recycling information.  CVC provides educational resources and programming for the school systems, the public and local municipalities in the Cities of Roanoke and Salem, the Counties of Botetourt and Roanoke, and the Town of Vinton.  We host and sponsor several valley-wide litter cleanup events and e-waste collections each year.  Come out and clean up your valley with us!  To find out more about our programs and events visit our website www.cleanvalley.org.

go green NRV is the core green business advocacy organization in the New River Valley.  Our mission is to promote a green business program in the New River Valley through education, promotion and partnerships.  go green NRV formed in 2008 as an outgrowth of Sustainable Blacksburg and through its membership has helped businesses review and implement practices which lower their overall environmental footprint and reduce long-term operating costs.  To find out more about how go green NRV can help your reduce your business, check us out online at www.gogreennrv.org.

At Yokohama Tire Corporation, being “green” and protecting the environment is a corporate mandate.  From manufacturing processes to product design and product performance, Yokohama provides environmentally responsible products by reducing, reusing and recycling as many materials as possible.  In addition, eight Yokohama commercial tires have been EPA SmartWay-verified for their ability to reduce transportation-related emissions. The company’s researchers also continuously seek out ways to use non-petroleum raw materials, such as orange oil, in its products.  In December 2010, the Yokohama Tire plant in Salem was recognized as an Extraordinary Environmental Enterprise (E4) in the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP). The company is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, efficient use of resources, and reduction of waste.  Please visit www.yokohamatire.com to learn more about Yokohama Tires and the Yokohama Green Initiatives.

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op – or the Co-op as it is more commonly known – provides its community with nutritious food choices and earth-friendly products. The Co-op supports sustainable environmental practices, local organic farmers, local businesses, and its surrounding community. Their products are many, their selection diverse, and their promise unwavering – that shoppers will find quality items for sale in the Co-op with no artificial colorants, preservatives, or additives. In addition to providing families with high-quality organic and natural products, the Co-op supports local efforts to preserve the integrity and health of our natural resources and community.

Friendly City Food Co-op offers fresh, local, natural foods and products that promote high-quality, sustainable living in its Harrisonburg community.  The co-op is a Virginia Green location, which means it is dedicated to minimizing food waste through composting and donating unsold items to the food pantry.  The facility minimizes the use of electricity and toxic cleaning supplies, and recycles ass much as possible.  It also supports sustainable and local growers to minimize its carbon footprint. Friendly City food Co-op has a full range of grocery items, as well as health and beauty products, and a deli with a lunch menu.  Shoppers may become members but membership is not required, and everyone is welcome.

For sixty-two years, Wade’s Food, Inc. has been feeding the New River Valley.  As a locally owned, independent family business for over three generations, Wade’s Foods, Inc. readily adapts to customer needs. We take pride in the communities we serve and are active corporate citizens.  For more information, stop by your local Wade’s Foods today or visit us online at www.wades-foods.com.