San Diego, Calif. – March 27, 2014 –  ecoATM®, the nationwide network of automated electronics recycling kiosks, today announced the addition of 16 kiosks in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. This brings a total of 32 ecoATM kiosks available to customers in shopping malls and in select Walmarts in the area. ecoATM recycles mobile phones, tablets and MP3 players to keep them out of landfills or forgotten in desk drawers, and provides cash payments as an incentive for consumers to recycle. ecoATM has approximately 900 kiosks throughout the United States.

ecoATM kiosks accept devices of any era or condition, and uses a worldwide auction system to offer consumers competitive prices depending upon condition, which can include a few hundred dollars for newer smartphones. Customers can choose to donate a portion or all of their cash payment to a number of charity partners. In addition, consumers can opt to use the cash from ecoATM to support their local economies by spending it in the location where they recycled their devices.

“There are millions of new devices sold each year, with many new models introduced annually, heightening the need for awareness surrounding eWaste and the available safe, and environmentally friendly recycling options,” said Maria Stipp, president, ecoATM. “ecoATM’s mission is to provide an opportunity for people to convert their clutter into cash while doing the right thing for the environment by keeping tons of potentially toxic waste out of our nation’s landfills. With only 20 percent of cell phones being recycled today, there is incredible potential for millions of Americans and we’re excited to help the people of Dallas-Fort Worth in doing their part.”

How it works:
ecoATM uses artificial intelligence and machine vision to identify and evaluate over 4,000 different electronic devices. When depositing a device into an ecoATM kiosk, the device is plugged in and scanned for type, serial number and condition. To ensure a compliant and valid sale, the seller must show a valid I.D. and provide a thumbprint and a signature agreeing that the phone is his or her property. Cameras, monitored by live attendees at the ecoATM headquarters, match the seller to their I.D. before cash is dispensed. All transactions and personal information are reported daily to local police, ensuring compliance above and beyond Texas’ second-hand dealer laws and in turn working directly with local law enforcement to identify and catch those attempting to sell stolen goods. ecoATM finds a second life for 75 percent of the devices it collects and responsibly recycles the rest.

A part of the eWaste solution
In addition to the cash value that consumers have gained by recycling their devices through ecoATM, the company announced in January that it has collected more than two million devices. This has enabled the recovery or reuse of:
• 500,000 pounds of devices – three space shuttles worth of plastics, metals and other potentially toxic materials
• 70,000 pounds of copper – enough to create a second Statue of Liberty (made of 62,000 pounds of copper) and still have extra
• 1,544 pounds of silver – enough to create 22,540 American Eagle silver dollar coins (made of .0685 pounds of silver)

In the time that ecoATM has had a presence in Texas (June 2012), it has collected more than 288,381 phones, MP3 players and tablets within the state – with the Apple iPhone 4 being the most popular device collected and the Motorola Razr v3 the most popular recycled device.

To learn more about ecoATM or to find a kiosk in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, visit https://www.ecoatm-public.myshopify.com/.

About ecoATM
ecoATM, is the first company to create an automated self-serve kiosk system to buy back old phones, tablets or MP3 players for cash. ecoATM uses patented, advanced machine vision, electronic diagnostics, and artificial intelligence to evaluate electronics. ecoATM’s eCycling stations provide a convenient trade-in solution with features that validate sellers’ identities and deter the sale of stolen phones, and the company collaborates with national, state, and local law-enforcement groups in combating mobile phone theft through innovative use of technology and education  (https://www.ecoatm-public.myshopify.com/pages/law-enforcement/).

ecoATM holds Responsible Recycling (R2) and ISO14001 certification, confirming the company’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of electronics recycling, as well as ISO27001 certification for information and personal data security. See https://www.ecoatm-public.myshopify.com/pages/how-it-works/ for a video of how an ecoATM kiosk works.

Contacts:

Amy Rice
ecoATM
(858) 766-7370
amy.rice@ecoatm.com