CDM-eCyclying
CDM-eCycling is short for Computer Donation Management which specializes in recycling and refurbishing electronic equipment. The company occupies a 104,000 square foot warehouse in southwest Baltimore and recycled 9.5 million pounds of trash just last year. Bob Donald, who is an engineer by training and Co-Founder of eCycling remarks, ” We’ll take anything that has a cord or a battery,” hesitates and then says, “except cars”. With 10 years strong in electronic recycling Bob, also mentions that the only part of an electronic device that couldn’t be recycled is the particleboard used in some older TV models. This waste is then sent down the street to the Bresco plant. eCycle has 6 facilities, all of which partner with non-profits in providing a percentage of their refurbished electronics to small communities in less developed countries. The facility has 97 employees, ninety percent have disabilities or are ex-offenders. Each employee is paid well above minimum wage with benefits and after having visited the warehouse myself each is placed with great care by a professional industrial psychologist to best match their strongest skill with a corresponding task. Most of eCycles product comes from federal and state run organization in Maryland, including parts of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina. They also have relationships with McCormick Spice who supply them with sorting boxes which, would other wise get thrown out. While walking passed one on my tour I caught a whiff of what smelled like fresh garlic!