Three sites for donations

The Hiram Farm Living and Learning Community will host an electronics recycling event April 23 until April 26 to raise money for a new adult day program for autistic adults in the community. The program is set to open June 1.

“This is an easy way for the farm to receive money,” said Kim Frampton, a farm committee member. “All it takes is volunteers to man the trailers and help from the community to bring donations in.”

Volunteers will be at the locations from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The three drop-off locations are at the Wal-Mart parking lot in Ravenna, the old Wal-Mart parking lot in Streetsboro and Damon’s Grill in Stow.

The Hiram Farm Committee is doing the electronics collection with help from a Tulsa, Okla., based company called EarthEcycle.

The company’s owner, Jeffrey Nixon, said the company holds drives all over the United States. He said for every 100,000 pounds of electronics any organization collects, EarthEcycle gives them $5,000.

“It is very rare that an organization doesn’t collect at least 100,000 pounds,” Nixon said. “In fact, it’s common for organizations to raise 150,000 to 200,000 pounds.”

Nixon said 100,000 pounds is about three semi-tractor trailers full. He said it sounds like a lot, but people are amazed how fast they can fill the trailers.

He also said his company provides the trailers that need to be filled. Once one trailer is filled, the company sends another one to the location. If any schools and big companies are willing to donate a lot of electronics, EarthEcycle will send a trailer directly to their location.

The collection is accepting basically everything electronic related. The only things not accepted are car batteries, anything with a heating element in it, floor model electronics including copiers, Hi-Fi stereos and organs, stoves, washers, dryers and refrigerators.

Contact public affairs reporter Liz Laubscher at [email protected].