North Kentucky News

BlairTech, a computer refurbisher based in Covington, Kentucky, is set to host a special e-waste drop-off event on April 5. This initiative marks the beginning of a new partnership with the City of Covington and Keep Covington Beautiful, providing residents with an opportunity for year-round recycling.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at BlairTech’s Tech Castle retail location on Boron Drive. It is distinct from the city's annual June e-waste event as it focuses solely on electronics and similar devices. Items containing data will be securely stored until they undergo a federal-standard wiping and destruction process.

Laura Blair, BlairTech’s marketing director, emphasized their commitment to sustainability: “Sustainability has always been at the core of what we do.” She added that if devices cannot be refurbished or reused, they are broken down into components and sent to certified processors committed to zero-landfill policies.

Sheila Fields, Covington's Solid Waste and Recycling manager, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “This partnership offers local and convenient accessibility for proper disposal of electronic waste for our community at no charge not only on April 5th but anytime during the year.”

Acceptable items for recycling include computers and accessories, telephone equipment, tablets, printers, copiers, video game systems, TVs (with waived fees during the event), VCRs, alkaline batteries (also fee-waived), among others.

Recycling e-waste helps protect water sources by keeping toxic materials out of landfills and recovers valuable metals like aluminum and copper. E-waste constitutes 70% of toxic landfill waste despite being only 2% of landfill volume globally.

BlairTech celebrates two decades in business with over ten years in Covington. The company employs 57 full-time staff members and operates Tech Castle as its local retail storefront. As one of the largest computer refurbishers in the U.S., BlairTech specializes in renewing high-quality desktops and laptops nationwide.

Additionally, starting Saturday, BlairTech will collect gently used books for "Little Free Libraries" around Covington as part of the City’s Read Ready Covington program.