Reuse is vital to Good Point Recycling’s business model.
Most of us feel better about retiring an asset if we know that someone may fix it, or someone will be able to afford something not otherwise possible.
If recycling a TV costs $20, we can recycle (destroy) ten for $200. But if we resell 3 of those TVs (30%) for legitimate reuse, at $30 each, it lowers costs by 75% ($200 – ($90 + $60 avoided) = $50).
Local Reuse
A certain number of computers and TVs stay right here in Vermont. We work with a job training program in Addison County which helps put people back into the workforce, and many of those staff spend hours testing and fixing electronics, wiping hard drives, and either wholesaling them to local second hand stores or posting them on sites like craigslist.com for local pickup.
Online Sales
Sometimes our staff find that the equipment is too complicated to repair, or that we have more than enough working items and there is not enough demand. However, in the age of internet, we can find and sell to other specialists via online sites like our ebay store. Antiques, parts, and working units are shipped daily to buyers all over the country.
Screening for Repair
Several staff are trained in “tricks of the trade” by national and international repair-people. We arranged meetings with USA NESDA service-people and repair-people from Africa, Asia, the Mideast, and Latin America. All agree about types of repair which are NOT worth it, and our staff are trained to identify those flaws and remove them for recycling. Entire brands are disqualified because of parts availability, durability, or local demand.
Internationally Compliant CRT and LCD Monitor Manufacturer Takeback
Our company was the first authorized EPA exporter in the USA. Good Point audits end markets to ensure that functional R2 Compliant equipment is exported for reuse or repair, in the strictest compliance with Basel Convention Annex IX (B1110). Our company holds direct manufacturer-takeback contracts and manages thousands of working computers for dozens of other recycling companies, ensuring full audits, full import permits, full 3-years of functionality records, etc. for LCD monitors and Pentium 4 computers.
See articles on our Fair Trade Policies under Qualifications. Good Point Recycling is a primary sponsor of the World Reuse, Repair and Recycling Association (WR3A), an international Fair Trade organization founded in Vermont in 2007.