For the second year in a row, Sims Recycling Solutions has successfully broken the world record for “Most Consumer Electronics Recycled Within 24 Hours At Multiple Venues” – and not by a little. This year’s attempt beat the previous Guinness World Record by a staggering 50 percent.
The international recycling events took place throughout the month of April 2013, in a worldwide recognition of Earth Day. It drew participants to Sims Recycling Solutions e-waste collection sites located in the United States, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Germany, India, South Africa, Sweden and the Netherlands. Seven of these locations – six in the U.S. and one in Canada – met GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® standards for tracking the amount of electronics received during these events.
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® has certified that in a single 24-hour period, Sims Recycling Solutions collected 126,378 pounds (57,324.10 kg) of e-waste for recycling, smashing the previous record of 80,370 pounds (36,455.22 kg) – also set by Sims Recycling Solutions on Earth Day 2012.
The event was held to highlight the growing social, economic and environmental challenges posed around the globe by discarded electronic devices. From desktop PCs and computer monitors to video game consoles, VCRs and mobile phones, these unwanted consumer products too often end up in landfills or storage warehouses. Toxic materials used in their fabrication, such as lead, mercury and cadium, inevitably then are released into the environment, posing serious health and safety threats to nearby communities. By choosing to recycle discarded electronics with a reputable, qualified e-waste management company such as Sims Recycling Solutions, consumers can ensure that their waste is disposed of safely.
“In the U.S. we are tossing over 130 million cellphones in the trash every year and disposing of 17,000 tons of e-waste every day,” stated Steve Skurnac, President of Sims Recycling Solutions. “Our goal this past Earth Day was to help provide convenient electronics recycling drop off locations across the nation. The fact that we were able to collect more electronic waste than last year, breaking our Guinness World Record, tells me this was a success.”
Click here for more information about Sims Recycling Solutions and our 2013 Earth Day efforts.