Electronics recycling company opens in Janesville
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Diane Green, a line worker at Green Industries, uses a screwdriver to remove the fan from a computer motherboard at Green Industries' headquarters.
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Old motherboards sit at the bottom of a cardboard bin waiting to be recycled at Green Industries' headquarters in Janesville.
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Diane Green, a line worker at Green Industries, disassembles an old computer to separate and recycle individual parts.
TO LEARN MORE
Nonprofit organizations interested in partnering with Green Industries for fundraisers can call (608) 754-8910.
JANESVILLE — The president of a new Janesville electronics waste recycling company hopes to double the company’s square footage within a year.
Nathaniel Green, 22, Janesville, president of Green Industries, said his company does not charge to recycle any electronic device or even for some household appliances dropped off at his business.
The list includes computers, scanners, printers, DVDs, televisions, air conditioners and microwave ovens.
The company makes money when the components are recycled.
Green Industries opened earlier this month. It employs four and operates out of 15,000 square feet at 1029 S. Jackson St., Suite 150. Green’s partners are businessmen Frank Perrotto and Jim Grafft.
Customers can drop off recyclables from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“We’re not sending them overseas, and we’re not dumping them in the ground,” Green said.
Workers, for instance, dismantle computer towers and send the boards to a company that sends them on to a refinery. There, they are melted and components such as gold, platinum and palladium are retrieved. Steel is another byproduct that brings the company money.
Workers destroy the hard drives and any data stored there.
Green said a company goal is to partner with the community to offer fundraisers.
A nonprofit organization would provide the location and marketing while Green Industries would provide the staff and equipment to stage an electronics collection drive. The organization would receive a portion of the profits.
Green said he’s been interested in the environment since he’s been young because his father was a stickler about recycling.
“So, I ended up getting really used to it,” Green said.
Later, he read that 14 million pounds of electronics and their hazardous components end up in landfills every year.
“I know the downstream of all the companies I’m sending this stuff to,” Green said.
“Everything can be reused in some way.”
Nov 7, 2011 at 9:29 a.m.
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tikiman1, just an FYI.....I JUST dropped off a computer, printer and a PS2 this past week at ALTER and did NOT get paid for any of it. I was told by Alter that most places the customer has to pay to bring it in, but they will take it for no charge, "especially as I was bringing in cans as well". Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate that they took it off my hands. But please get your information right before putting down this guy.
Oct 2, 2011 at 12:50 p.m.
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KUDOS to Nathaniel Green! Thank you for making the recycling of electronics more readily available! And knowing that the recyclables are not going overseas and dumped in the ground, or burned is even better!
Oct 2, 2011 at 12:16 p.m.
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This is great! About time! Good job Frank and Jim. I hope you make a bazillion dollars from this venture.
Sep 29, 2011 at 5:22 p.m.
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Hello this is Nathaniel Green President & COO of Green Industries I saw a response on what we take! Green Industries will take anything that plugs into a wall as well as appliances in your homes so please stop by the Janesville facility and pick up a list of what Green Industries will take thank you for supporting Green Industries.
Sep 28, 2011 at 10:55 a.m.
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Great idea! A list of all items Green Industries will take would be useful.
Sep 28, 2011 at 10:06 a.m.
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Sigma, it seems you're insinuating recycling is counterproductive. How so?
Sep 28, 2011 at 6:30 a.m.
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candy...isn't that a nice response? That is customer service at it's best which you don't see much anymore.
Sep 27, 2011 at 9:45 p.m.
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Hello my name is Nathaniel Green President & COO of Green Industries. I would like to thank everyone in the community for supporting Green Industries in there focus to better the environment. We have changed our drop off hours from 9am to 5pm to better serve the community, For more information you can call the Janesville office at 608-754-8910.
Sep 27, 2011 at 3:32 p.m.
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Recycling is like waging war for peace.
Sep 27, 2011 at 2:58 p.m.
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This is a great story.
Sep 27, 2011 at 1:28 p.m.
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Would like to see better drop-off hours. I'm driving around with 2 TVs and a monitor in the back of my truck because my work hours extend beyond 9 - 3 and nobody seems to be open on the weekend!!!
Sep 27, 2011 at 11:01 a.m.
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This is a great idea, and I'll be stopping by.
Sep 27, 2011 at 8:55 a.m.
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This. Is. Smart.
Sep 27, 2011 at 8:38 a.m.
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Good for you Mr Green,I'll be more than happy to donate to your new industry.
Sep 27, 2011 at 5:58 a.m.
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Great recycling ideas! Cash for Clunker program was such a waste and was so anti environmental. The program cost was $24,000 per car turned in, which was then smashed into a cube. Think of all those parts that could have been recycled. I saw a row of those cars behind a local dealership and it sure appeared that many of them had a few good years left as they weren't very old. Talk about caring about the environment and recycling, this program sure didn't.
Sep 26, 2011 at 11:40 p.m.
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Well at least they are better than URT. I don't know if they have changed at all but about 2 years ago they would charge to dispose of TV's and other electronics. I didn't know alter actually paid you for that stuff. Very useful info!
Sep 26, 2011 at 6:20 p.m.
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With most of the big scrap yards ( and the other electronics recycler) in town asking you to pay to drop off tv's computers and the like, this is a good alternative...
Tikiman, if you found a place that pays you, great!
Sep 26, 2011 at 6:15 p.m.
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so are they hiring?
Sep 26, 2011 at 6:02 p.m.
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Doesn't charge? Wow, that's a hoot! They pay $3 a pound for that stuff at Alter. Nice ploy kid, but I think I'll get paid to recycle it rather than give it away.
Maybe I should start my own little side business. Hmmm.
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