Hundreds of people at SUNY Oswego threw out their old electronics in the first recycling event since the start of the pandemic.
Shannon Bove is an event greeter, and in the early hours, things were running smoothly.
“This being our first time here, we didn’t know what to expect in Oswego and how many people. It’s working out fantastic right now," Bove said.
Because of COVID-19, the Brockport-based recycling company Sunnking had to come up with a different way to manage people and take their stuff in a timely manner. Instead of just showing up and possibly waiting hours in line, the folks dropping off their old junk had an option to preregister.
“Them being able to go online, sign up for an appointment and show up at their designated time has definitely helped control the traffic for sure," Bove said.
Bove will wave along about 800 people that have already preregistered. Everybody wins. People can drop their electronics for free while helping the environment.
“People need to recycle electronics so that they don’t end up in the dumps, in the wrong places. Us being able to properly take in the electronics and recycle them the right ways, It absolutely helps the environment," Bove said.
Now it’s time to sort. And that’s where Thomas Dobri comes in.
“You’ve got to go as fast as you can. Sometimes you need a little teamwork with the heavier stuff," Dobri said.
This is just the second event for the 16-year old. It’s tough work, but fun finding the unusual stuff that people pile up in their vehicles.
“Got quite a few pianos. A lot of guitars. A lot of musical equipment in general," Dobri said.
Dobri says he’s having fun. The people he’s working with are friendly, and so are the ones coming through the lines. Those aren’t the only reasons he’s giving his time on a Saturday morning.
“For the environment I mean. The world needs us, the environment needs us. Let’s do what we can to help," Dobri said.
Helping the world, one device at a time.