Sony Launches GreenFill Recycling Program For Small CE

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 4/22/2009

San Diego — Sony is using Earth Day today to launch a new facet to its ongoing Take Back Recycling efforts for consumer electronics.

Doug Smith, Sony corporate environment, safety and health director, said the company is kicking off today its GreenFill in-store recycling program that will place special recycling kiosks at 81 stores around the country. Each kiosk will encourage consumers to drop off small end-of-life electronics products from any brand, free of charge with no purchase requirement.

Sony said its goal is to expand the number of participating stores to more than 2,000 in coming months.

Among the retailers participating in the program at launch are: ABT Electronics in Chicago; Sixth Avenue in New Jersey; J&R Music World in New York City; American TVin the Upper Mid West region; Vans in Montana and Video Audio Center in Los Angeles.

The GreenFill Recycling Program was designed to make it easy for the retailer and easy for the consumer to drop off their small electronics items, Smith said.

Each kiosk is a specially designed cardboard box measuring 36 inches tall by 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep. Once filled, retailers will close it up and ship it off to Sony's recycling partner Eco International for proper disposal.

Electronics products that are expected to be collected in the boxes include cellphones, digital cameras, camcorders, small gaming devices and portable music players, among others.

Smith said the goal of the program is "to make recycling consumer electronics as easy as they are to purchase."

The Green Fill Recycling Program is part of Sony's Take Back effort, which launched in September 2007 "with the intention of creating a network of convenient locations for consumers to drop off their electronic waste," Smith said.

Also in that spirit, Sony launched its Green Glove program six months ago offering consumers who purchase a TV with delivery from a Sony Style store or Web site the ability to have their old TV set taken away by the delivery team at no charge.

Sony's Take Back Recycling program is designed to help build awareness of Sony's nationwide network of more than 270 drop-off locations where larger Sony-branded electronics will be accepted at no charge and other brands will be accepted for a small fee.

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