If you answered “throw it away,” you could be in big trouble come January 1.

Businesses (and homeowners) in Illinois will be prohibited from sending old electronic equipment to landfills. While there is currently a law in effect that requires some of that electronic material to be recycled, the new regulation adds more equipment to the list, and creates bigger penalties for businesses that do not comply.

How big are these penalties? Currently the fine for violating the Illinois e-waste recycling law is $1,000 per incident. Once January rolls around, however, the fines will be increased to $7,000 for each violation. You may be thinking to yourself, “$7,000 isn’t much money in the grand scheme of things.” While that may be true, it seems pointless to accept a penalty when it’s so simple to safely and lawfully dispose of your material.

Because these laws require manufacturers to recycle a certain percentage of the equipment they sell, most will have a program in place for you to return used equipment. Since businesses and buildings go through electronic equipment more often, and in greater numbers than a homeowner does, these programs aren’t always ideal for them. Luckily, there are recycling companies (like EverLights) that make recycling e-waste safe and easy for businesses.

Our e-waste recycling process guarantees all of your information is safely disposed of. Before materials are shredded, all the information is wiped from your hard drives, ensuring nobody will ever get their hands on it. Once your information is removed, the materials go through a shredding and smelting process to break them down into their original forms. The “new” material is then sent off to manufacturers who use it to create new equipment, including electronics. Once the process is complete, we’ll send you a certificate of recycling, proving that your materials were recycled following all regulations.

If you’re not recycling electronic equipment at your office or building, you should be. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s also required by law. Plus it’s really easy.

We’re more than happy to answer any questions you might have about this topic. Feel free to give us a call any time at (877) 934-9873 or send an email to info@everlights.com and we’ll help you out.

Earlier this year, a number of our clients started to ask us our opinion on the incandescent and fluorescent bulb phase outs.  We educated them and gave resources to the best of our ability.  But we wondered if there was a way we could do more.  After putting our heads together, we decided to approach General Electric to see if they would be willing to bring EverLights on as a lamp distributor.  We were thrilled when they said yes!  By the end of the month, EverLights will become the first GE distributor that also recycles their products.  Did I mention how excited we are?

As we prepare for the official launch date (please stay tuned) all of us are busy learning more about lighting so we can be the EverLights experts that you are accustomed to working with. We want our customers to know that they can come to us for all of their lighting and recycling needs, and learning as much as we can about the industry is the best way to make that happen. Soon you’ll start to see new lighting added to quotes, and we’ll run specials on bulbs that we think are particularly efficient, or just plain cool.

If you’re interested in learning more about the GE products we’ll be offering, or our recycling services, please give us a call anytime at (877) 934-9873. We’re always happy to help!

The e-waste drives were a brand new experience for EverLights, and we were really anxious to see how everything would turn out. Thanks in large part to our Earth Day partners, Lowe Construction and Management Company and NorthShore University Health System, we were able to collect an incredible amount of e-waste.

So how did we do it?

On Monday, April 16 and Tuesday, April 17, Lowe Construction and Management Company welcomed EverLights into two of its buildings. Monday’s event was held at 70 E. Lake St. and Tuesday’s event was held at 815 W. Van Buren. Tenants were invited to bring us any old electronics they needed to get rid of, and we provided the participants, and other tenants, with a few free items to thank them for stopping by. Between the two buildings, we collected over 600 pounds of e-waste, as well as a few fluorescent lamps and batteries.

On Friday, April 20, NorthShore University Health Systems gave us the opportunity to set up a similar recycling drive in each of its 4 hospitals, as well as three of its office locations. During these events, hospital employees were asked to bring old electronics in from home and the items were collected free of charge. Through these e-waste drives, we collected over 5,000 pounds of e-waste! Going into the day, we weren’t sure what kind of turnout to expect. When we brought the equipment back to our warehouse for final counts, we were thrilled to discover how much we had collected.

When we combine the totals from all nine events, we collected over 5,000 pounds of e-waste in a one week span. We are incredibly proud of how the events went, and we cannot wait to do it again next year.

We would like to give a final thank you to our partner companies, Lowe Construction and Management Company and NorthShore University Health System, and their employees and tenants, for making our first Earth Day e-waste drive a tremendous success. Without their help, and the help of all our employees, these events would not have been possible.

Earth Day on the National Mall

If you’re in the Washington, D.C. area, this event is the place to be. From noon until 7 p.m. a rally will be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Tens of thousands of environmentally-conscious people from all walks of life and all parts of the country are expected to participate and they will be joined by civic leaders and celebrities for this incredible Earth Day event.

A few highlights of the event:

•   Free and open to the public
•   Top musical talent (Sting and John Legend performed in 2011)
•   Prominent speakers and celebrities
•   Youth rally and voter registration
•   Live news coverage, global webcast
•   Renewable energy demonstrations
•   Non-profit and embassy booths
•   Interactive exhibits

For more information visit the event page.

5K For Earth Day

Here’s a fun event that those of you in the Chicago area might be interested in.

Please join Green Dot Environmental as they celebrate their 3rd Annual 5K for Earth Day presented by Merchants Banc on Saturday, April 21, 2012. Beginning with a family friend 5K run/walk, the race will culminate at the Humboldt Park boat house with a free Green Living Expo including great music, family entertainment, delicious food, exciting vendors and shopping, environmental education and fun for the whole family. Stop by this fun event if you’re in the area on Saturday, April 21 and learn about a number of ways to “go green.” Race participants will each receive a free t-shirt and recyclable tote bag.

For more information, visit www.earthday5kchicago.com.

Earth Day E-Waste Recycling Drives

After participating in the Earth Day celebration by hosting events in our own community the last few years, EverLights decided to expand its reach. This year, EverLights will celebrate Earth Day by hosting a number of E-Waste recycling drives across the city. We wanted to take the things we’ve been doing well in our own community, and make an impact on a larger audience by doing something similar in downtown Chicago. By setting up shop in the lobby of our partner buildings, we will be providing the tenants and visitors with a convenient location to bring old electronics, while also giving them a forum to ask any questions they might have about e-waste or fluorescent lamp recycling. Listed below is our calendar of events from April 16 – April 23.

Date: Monday, April 16, 2012

Time: 9 a.m. – Noon

Address: 70 E. Lake Street

Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Time: 9 a.m. – Noon

Address: 815 W. Van Buren

Date: Thursday, April 19, 2012

Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Address: 303 E. Wacker

Date: Friday, April 20, 2012

Time: 9 a.m. – Noon

Address: North Shore Hospitals (Evanston, Glenbrook, Highland Park, Skokie)

Date: Monday, April 23, 2012

Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Address: 111 S. Wacker

Please direct any questions about the e-waste recycling drives to EverLights by calling (877) 934-9873.

In years past, EverLights has participated in Earth Day events in our local community, such as 5k walks, e-waste recycling drives and local park clean-ups. While we are very proud of our past efforts to help improve the environment, we decided it was time to take it one step further. This year, EverLights will celebrate Earth Day by hosting a number of E-Waste recycling drives across the city. We wanted to take the things we’ve been doing well in our own community, and make an impact on a larger group by doing something similar in downtown Chicago. By setting up shop in the lobby of our partner buildings, we will be providing the tenants with a convenient location to bring old electronics, while also giving them a forum to ask any questions they might have about e-waste recycling.

We were very fortunate to find two buildings to help us hold our inaugural e-waste recycling Earth Day program. Our great partners at Lowe Construction & Management Company will help us celebrate by allowing us to collect e-waste in their lobby on two separate days during the week leading up to Earth Day.

Calendar of Events

Date: Monday, April 16, 2012

Time: 9 a.m. – Noon

Address: 70 E. Lake Street

Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Time: 9 a.m. – Noon

Address: 815 W. Van Buren

Date: Thursday, April 19, 2012

Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Address: 303 E. Wacker

Date: Friday, April 20, 2012

Time: 9 a.m. – Noon

Address: North Shore Hospitals (Evanston, Glenbrook, Highland Park, Skokie)

Date: Monday, April 23, 2012

Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Address: 111 S. Wacker

On each of these days you will find EverLights in the lobby of the building listed. We will be on hand with a box to place the e-waste in, informational materials about e-waste recycling laws and other recycling regulations, and a free Earth-friendly giveaway for all participants.

The cost of recycling will be covered by the buildings, so tenants can recycle as much as they would like at no cost to them.

Come on out and help EverLights celebrate Earth Day by recycling your old electronics. Not only will you be helping the environment by recycling, but we’ll also give you a free gift to take home. Want to know what it is? Stop by our event and find out!

For more information about the Earth Day events, or for lamp and ballast recycling information, contact us at (877) 934-9873 or by email at info@everlights.com.

States That Require Fluorescent Lamp Recycling

The states listed below have laws in place that mandate recycling regardless of the quantity of material or the type of business or organization.

• California
• Minnesota
• Florida
• Connecticut
• Rhode Island
• New York
• Massachusetts
• Vermont
• New Hampshire
• Maine
• Washington, D.C.

States With Some Lamp Recycling Restrictions

The states on this list have fluorescent lamp recycling laws and regulations, but also have a number of exceptions to the rules based on quantity or the type of business or organization the lamps are coming from.

• Illinois (see above)
• Washington
• Oregon
• Nevada
• Idaho
• Montana
• Wyoming
• Utah
• Arizona
• New Mexico
• Colorado
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Nebraska
• Kansas
• Oklahoma
• Texas
• Louisiana
• Arkansas
• Missouri
• Iowa
• Wisconsin
• Mississippi
• Alabama
• Tennessee
• Kentucky
• Indiana
• Michigan
• Ohio
• Georgia
• South Carolina
• North Carolina
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Maryland
• Delaware
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• Alaska
• Hawaii

Now that you’ve seen this list, you might understand why we feel so strongly about enacting a federal law for fluorescent lamp recycling. It would be much easier for businesses to understand what needs to be recycled if there was one set of rules that the entire country had to play by. For the time being, we need to follow the guidelines set by individual states. Recycling is required on some level in all 50 states, but there are still too many exemptions in place for our liking.

Interested in information about e-waste recycling laws too? Check out this interactive map that lists e-waste recycling laws by state or call us at (877) 934-9873.

The Dos

• Work with a company that has all the proper recycling permits
• Make sure you receive a certificate of recycling
• Use proper size containers
• Tape both ends of boxes
• Label boxes with the type of lamp and the date you start collecting
• Designate a dry, indoor area for storing all lamps
• Recycle all linear, u-shape, circular and compact fluorescent lamps

The Don’ts

• Throw lamps in the trash
• Break fluorescent lamps (if you do, make sure you clean up the mercury properly)
• Use wet boxes
• Store used lamps outside or in a wet location
• Tape lamps together instead of putting them in boxes
• Crush lamps (this is not illegal, but it is unsafe and we advise against it)

It’s important to understand what to do with your fluorescent lamps when it comes time to recycle them. We want to keep you healthy and prevent your company from receiving any potential fines from the EPA. In order to keep yourself, and the people around you, safe from any potential harm, always refer back to this list before you recycle. While the information seems pretty straightforward, you might be surprised by the number of stories there are about companies that have done one or more of the things on our “don’t” list.

As always, if you have any questions about lamp recycling, please feel free to give us a call at (877) 934-9873 or email info@everlights.com

Copyright: White Castle

When you think of White Castle the first thing that probably comes to mind is little cheeseburgers. What you don’t see or hear about too often are some of the initiatives White Castle has in place to benefit the communities it operates in.

As lamp recycling laws and regulations continue to grow stricter, large companies like White Castle need to make sure they have the most efficient, and most cost effective, lamp recycling programs in place. With over 70 restaurants around Chicago, White Castle viewed this market as a great place to test a new lamp recycling program, EverMail.

For those who don’t know, EverMail is an easy to use mail-in recycling program with a one time payment that covers the cost of the container, shipping fees to and from EverLights and the recycling costs.

Because of the number of stores in the area, as well as the low number of lamps each store goes through, White Castle decided the EverMail program made the most sense for them. And they were right.

EverMail containers require minimum storage space and allow businesses to fill them at their own pace, rather than worrying about whether or not they have enough material to require a pickup.

It gives White Castle an easy to manage system for recycling light bulbs that didn’t exist within the company previously.

Before joining forces with EverLights, White Castle did not have a program set up to make the lamp recycling process as easy as possible on them. Since it started using the EverMail program in 2011, White Castle has recycled over 2,000 fluorescent lamps, with more being recycled each week. And it had no effect on the company’s day-to-day operations.

This is a great example of how a company of any size can spend a small amount of money to help keep residents in its communities safe and healthy.

If you’re interested in learning more about how your company can start using the EverMail program, send an email to info@everlights.com or call (877) 934-9873 today.

In order to do so, we’ve compiled a list of 19 things that your office can, and should, recycle. Recycling is the easiest way to go green. There are businesses around the country that will take pretty much any material from you, and some of them will even pay you for certain items. If you need help finding a place to recycle any of these materials, check out Earth911.com.

• Light Bulbs
• Batteries
• Computers
• Monitors
• Printers
• Televisions
• Cell Phones
• Newspaper
• Printer Paper
• Cardboard
• Aluminum Cans                                      
• Plastic Bottles
• Glass
• Wood, Bricks & Other Building Materials
• Metal Scrap
• Shipping Styrofoam
• Ink Cartridges
• Tires
• Furniture

This also holds true in the business world. When we see the opportunity to make our lives easier, it’s easy to dive right in without a second thought. Building managers, engineers and business owners will face a number of temptations as new e-waste recycling laws pop up around the country. In order to prevent you from giving in to those temptations, we’d like to provide a list of things to look for in an e-waste recycling company that should be considered “red flags.”

Paying for E-Waste

If your e-waste recycling company pays you for the materials you’re sending them, odds are little to nothing is actually being recycled. In order to comply with the new e-waste recycling laws, a lot of businesses will be tempted to work with a company that pays for the materials. The idea that you can follow the law and make money is too good to pass up, right?

While that may seem like a good idea, it almost guarantees that the e-waste will end up in the wrong place and will not be tracked properly. It also puts you at a higher risk of receiving one of the $7,000 fines that can now be handed out to businesses that fail to recycle e-waste. To avoid potential complications, it would be in your company’s best interest to stay away from this practice.

Accepting E-Waste for Free

This idea goes hand-in-hand with companies that pay for e-waste. People don’t always realize is that it costs money for a company to properly recycle the materials found in electronic equipment. While the end result of the process is obviously to make money, the recycling companies need to cover the costs of breaking down the equipment into useful materials. In order to cover those costs, recycling companies have to charge a small fee when accepting the materials from your business.If the materials are accepted for free, or are paid for, there is a good chance they’re ending up in landfills, incinerators or are sent overseas to be broken down at a low cost.

While paying for something you could get for free isn’t the most appealing idea, spending a little money on e-waste recycling could end up costing you less in the long run. Not only will paying the low cost to recycle save your business from any potential fines, you could also use your recycling certificate to position yourself as an environmentally friendly company.

Failure to Track E-Waste

If you’re going to spend the money to recycled your e-waste properly, you probably want to know where it goes and what’s done with it, right?

Any business can say it recycles all of its materials properly, but the only way to cover your tracks is to work with a company that will provide documents proving that your e-waste was recycled correctly. At the very least, you should receive a certificate of recycling each time you send electronics to a recycling company. This certificate will list what type of equipment was recycled, and how much of it there was.

The best e-waste recycling companies are those that take the process a step further. These companies will track the serial number on each piece of equipment so you can see exactly where it has been and where it is going. This not only gives your business the comfort of knowing all your information was erased properly, but it also provides you with proof that everything was recycled properly in case you’re ever questioned.

If the e-waste recycling company you work with falls under any of these three categories, you should consider other options. EverLights guarantees that all the e-waste it receives is processed in the United States and none of the materials are sent overseas. We have the ability to track all of your electronics and will always provide you with a certificate of recycling at the end of the process.

If you have any questions regarding e-waste, lamp, ballast or battery recycling, please feel free to call us at (877) 934-9873 or send an email to info@everlights.com. If you have anything else our readers should be on the lookout for, please feel free to share it in the comments section below. We would love to hear what you have to say!