Give New Life to Laptops at City Recycling Center

In a novel approach to diverting electronic waste from landfill disposal, the City of Fort Collins is partnering with Greenback, LLC to collect laptop computers at the Rivendell Recycling Center. The new, bright green collection box, was recently installed at the City’s Rivendell facility at 1702 Riverside in Fort Collins.

In 2007 Fort Collins adopted an ordinance that prohibits any electronic waste from being placed in the waste stream. The laptop pilot collection program is the first time the City municipality has explored offering a self-service drop-off box for any type of electronics.

After making repairs to computers collected at the drop-off site, Greenback sells them to on-line customers. With the corporate mission of “sustainable recycling through re-use”, the young company is also committed to donating 50% of laptop sales to the Poudre School District. For laptops that are not salvageable, Greenback is committed to recycling or disposing of parts safely and responsibly.

Greenback, LLC was founded by a 23-year-old local entrepreneur John Masson. Masson is passionate about his business of restoring laptop computers that would otherwise be recycled for their scrap-metal content, or worse, placed in a garbage can. “Re-use is always the best choice to make. We want to make a difference, one laptop at a time, in addition to providing some financial support to the Poudre School District,” says Masson.

The Fort Collins innovation-based business incubator, Rocky Mountain Innosphere and its SAGE advisors, assisted Greenback with business advice and counsel during the development stages of the company.