Tuesday, December 30, 2008

How to Turn E-Waste Into Marketing Gold

This is the first time I have heard of any hotel doing something like this but given this particular hotel, I should not be surprised. Today, the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., hosted a home electronics recycling drive. Greensboro area residents with old TVs, computers, digital cameras, electronic games, cell phones and other electronic waste were invited to drop off the items at the hotel.

Providing a safe way to dispose of electronic waste is important. It contains toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury that can contaminate the environment, including water supplies. "With the February 2009 nationally scheduled transition from analog to digital broadcast television signals, this is a convenient way to dispose of old television sets," said the hotel's developers, Dennis Quaintance and Nancy King Quaintance, in an invitation to Greensboro residents.

In addition to the electronic waste collecting, representatives of the City of Greensboro were on hand to collect Christmas trees and greenery that will be recycled into mulch.

Holding this type of event is an outstanding idea. It is great publicity and an opportunity to bring in new business. At the event, every person contributing e-waste received a $10 gift voucher for the hotel's Print Works Bistro and a reusable shopping bag from Friendly Shopping Centers.

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