By Maddy PUMILIA

SoCal Recycling held an e-waste collection drive at the Crescenta-Cañada YMCA on Sunday with 35% of the proceeds benefiting the facility.

A variety of electronics were brought in to be recycled including CPUs, monitors, laptops, cables, wires, printers, faxes, scanners, routers, computer motherboards, cellphones, regular photos, television screens and answering machines. The company also accepted clothing donations.

Christi Franck said she donated because she “organizes for people and she was helping them clean out all the things in their garage.” She brought in computer batteries, remote controls and a TiVo.

“It’s been okay,” said Jordan Severs, SoCal Recycling’s recycling coordinator, of the response by the community. “It would be nice if more people knew about it. It seems like really only the YMCA community knew about it.”

Severs said Sunday was not the best day for an e-waste collection and generally Saturdays are more successful. Severs said it looked like a couple thousand pounds had been donated, which would translate to raising a couple hundred dollars. Organizers were hoping to get tens of thousands of pounds donated. Severs said that similar e-waste drives at schools collect tens of thousands of pounds of merchandise no longer used.

“At least it’s not in a landfill,” Severs said of the items donated.

Tallying the value of each item is done by weight, but certain items have no monetary value. Monitors, television screens and CPUs generate a per pound payment to the organization.

Once collected, SoCal Recycling holds all the donated items at its facility. The company SoCal Recycling works with tests all the electronics to see if they still work. Items that still work can be reused. The items that don’t work are broken down and are made into something else.

“We’re looking to do more community outreach through e-waste drives and clothing and recycling to get more in touch with the community,” Severs said. She added, “We are really trying to [hold] fundraising events through the recycling of materials to keep material out of the landfill [while generating] funds.”

SoCal Recycling chose the YMCA because of their strong relationship and because they like what the Y does for the community. SoCal Recycling also has a clothing recycling bin at the YMCA all the time. The proceeds from that also benefit the Y.

SoCal Recycling has its next drive on Saturday, Aug. 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Verdugo Hills Golf Course. The drive will support the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce, which is also having its fundraising golf tournament at the same time.

The Verdugo Hills Golf Course is located at 6433 La Tuna Canyon Road, Tujunga.

  MADDY PUMILIA