WRITER | LISA BECKER CAMPBELL
PHOTO | COMPRENEW

Connecting Computers with the Community

Concern about the enormity of electronic waste literally and figuratively weighs on many of us. Every day, roughly 150,000 computers alone are disposed of in the US.

Michiganders committed to increasing the potential for a sustainable future by decreasing e-waste have a brilliant ally: Comprenew. The nonprofit is dedicated to reducing the threat of electronic waste by recycling and refurbishing it. Comprenew offers affordable refurbished products at three retail locations in West Michigan and has 14 e-waste collection sites throughout the Midwest.

Comprenew is spearheading a new, important effort in response to the pandemic: The Connect All Michigan Program. Its goal is to provide low-income families with access to technology to help them participate in remote learning. An estimated 48 million people in the US do not have access to a home computer.

Many schools have suspended face-to-face learning, highlighting that we, as Michiganders, do not all have the same opportunity to connect and learn. The goal is to help keep vulnerable kids from falling behind academically by providing them with a refurbished computer fully loaded with Windows 10 and Microsoft Office.

“Many families and school districts have reached out for help during these challenging times. This program has been made possible by the support of our community, and we are so grateful,” stated Sarah Laman, director of sales and marketing at Comprenew.

“We are always looking for individuals and business partners to donate more laptops and desktops for the program,” she continued.

Another way that individuals and businesses can partner with Comprenew is to recycle electronics and batteries responsibly.

Each year, Americans throw away nearly 3 billion batteries. In landfills, they leach toxic chemicals into the soil and groundwater. Traditional, single-use alkaline batteries are relatively benign chemically, but they can still be recycled to recover the metal casing and other materials.

On the other hand, rechargeable batteries (such as lithium, lithium-ion, and NiMH) are banned from landfills in some states. Also, mixing batteries can start fires.

Comprenew also offers corporate services, including secure asset management, data security services, and transportation. They maintain the highest international standards in electronics recycling and data security, ensuring that confidential data is never compromised.

The Comprenew 2 You program delivers a personalized experience. A professional team arrives at your home or business to manage e-waste with proper personal protection equipment and thorough sanitization methods, ensuring everyone’s safety.

 

Comprenew Main Office
629 Ionia Avenue SW
Grand Rapids MI 49503
(616) 451-4400 l Comprenew.org