Call 3 E-Waste Drive shatters collection records
KCRA 3 teams with CEAR to collect more than half-million pounds of electronic equipment
Sacramento, CA – April 28, 2008 – In a record-breaking recycling event, more than 570,000 pounds of electronic waste was collected on Earth Day during the KCRA Call 3 E-Waste Drive at Cal Expo, easily surpassing all previous records for community events, according to the California Electronic Asset Recovery (CEAR).
The event, which was a joint effort between KCRA 3 and CEAR, drew long lines of people in vehicles that were filled with computers, monitors, televisions, fax machines, VCRs, stereo equipment, speakers and small kitchen appliances such as mixers and toasters. According to event organizers, the response from the community was overwhelming.
“We anticipated that we would fill about 10 bins with electronic material,” said [CEAR Representative and title]. “Instead, we filled 57 bins weighing more than 570,000 pounds. That was unbelievable that so many people came through. We got three times more material than we had expected.”
[CEAR Representative] said that in comparison, Yolo County collects about the same amount of e-waste in an entire year that this event collected in one day. The free recycling program is part of an ongoing effort by the Call 3 Problem Solvers to help educate the public about the digital conversion taking place in February 2009.
By law, full-power television stations nationwide must switch from the old method of transmitting TV signals known as analog to new digital broadcasts on February 17, 2009. Thousands of households in Northern California risk losing television reception unless they take the easy steps to receive a digital signal. This could mean buying new television sets with a digital tuner and disposing of old analog television sets.
“As more and more of our viewers hear about this Digital Transition and replace their TVs, all of us at KCRA 3 want to make sure that all their old television sets don’t end up in landfills,” said Elliott Troshinsky, President and General Manager. “We are very proud that our Call 3 E-Waste Drive potentially saved a half a million pounds of waste from going into local landfills here in the Northern California area.”
ABOUT KCRA 3
KCRA 3 and its sister station, KQCA/My58 are owned by Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc., which also owns 26 television stations, and manages an additional three television and two radio stations, in geographically diverse U.S. markets. The Company’s television stations reach approximately 18% of U.S. TV households, making it one of America’s largest television station groups. Hearst-Argyle owns 12 ABC-affiliated stations, and manages an additional ABC station owned by Hearst Corporation, and is the largest ABC affiliate group. The Company also owns 10 NBC affiliates, and is the second-largest NBC affiliate owner, and owns two CBS affiliates. Hearst-Argyle also is a leader in the convergence of local broadcast television and the Internet through its partnership with Internet Broadcasting, and in the application of digital broadcast spectrum for new local informational services through its Weather Plus partnership with NBC and various NBC affiliate groups. Hearst-Argyle Series A Common Stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “HTV.” HTV debt is rated investment grade by Moody’s (Baa3), Standard & Poor’s (BBB-) and Fitch (BBB-), each with a stable outlook. The Company’s Web address is www.hearstargyle.com.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA ELECTRONIC ASSET RECOVERY, INC.
California Electronic Asset Recovery, Inc. (CEAR) is a Northern California based environmentally conscious electronic waste recovery and recycling company. We have been recycling for the general public, corporations, small businesses, schools and government entities since 2000. Our management team has over a decade of experience in the industry. CEAR has an increasing network of partners and clients, as well as established methodologies and documented procedures for shipping, sorting, testing, refurbishing, remarketing and recycling. On the web at: www.cearinc.com.
Contacts:
Jessica Rappaport 916/325-3343
Keith Turner 530/368-0909
