The Virginia Recycling Association and Computer Recycling Initiative (CRI) are pleased to announce the results of April’s Electronics Recycling Month campaign. Virginia communities planned and hosted more than twenty events during April and May. These events enabled 2,100 participants to recycle 143 tons of electronics devices, including more than 450 individual televisions and 900 computer monitors. The actual results are higher because information was not received from all events and not all reporting groups provided the same information.

The data above was obtained for events held in Buchanan County, Chesterfield County (2 events), Dickenson County, Fairfax County (2 events), Falls Church, Farmville, Fauquier County, Frederick County, Henrico County, Manassas, Martinsville, Norfolk, Prince George County, Richmond and Russell County. In addition, events were held in Charlottesville, Gloucester County, Loudoun County, McLean and Prince William County.

Collecting equipment was one goal, but raising the awareness of Virginia citizens about the issue was another. As part of the effort, VRA and CRI distributed press releases to Virginia media and national trade publications. Governor Timothy M. Kaine issued a certificate recognizing April as Virginia Electronics Recycling Month. Information about the campaign was included in the March 17, 2006 edition of the National Recycling Coalition’s Mobius newsletter and the March 2006 edition of DEQ’s Recycling Lines newsletter. Richmond-area CBS affiliate WTVR-6 aired an interview with Kelley Hope about the topic on April 10, 2006. To promote their events, Frederick County sponsored newspaper ads that reflected the County’s involvement in Electronics Recycling Month. In addition, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published an article about the initiative. Finally, the Department of General Services set up displays in several buildings around the Capitol to educate state employees about electronics recycling.

The media activity served to raise awareness of both the issue and the VRA, with the VRA website receiving record numbers of visitors during spring 2006. Visitors to the site normally average 393 per month. In March, visitors numbered 752; in April, the total was 745 visitors. The week leading up to Earth Day, when five events were held, the website received its most activity, with 240 visitors.

Many thanks to each community and organization that participated in this effort.