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TOLEDO -- Lucas County landfills are overflowing with computers, televisions, cell phones, and other electronics that are not being recycled properly. Many will un-wrap new high-tech gifts this holiday season, but are unsure where to recycle their old electronic paperweights.

Jeff Norden and his partners started the R2-Certified, E-waste company, Affinity Information Management (AIM) in 2008. With nearly 50 million tons of electronic waste and other sensitive material wrongfully piling up landfills, AIM helps to properly re-use and recycle the waste.

“If it’s something that can be refurbished, we're gonna refurbish it and we have a crew that sells stuff on eBay,” said Norden. “If not then we’ll determine that it’s bad, and we’ll break the parts down and recycle it for the metals.”

Norden told WNWO nearly 78 percent of electronics are not properly recycled, some polluting the environment with the toxic chemicals contained in them. Because of over 80 classified categories of recycled electronics, many businesses in Lucas County work together to get the job done.

Jeff Parker owns Niche Precious Metal Recovery, where he recycles and refurbishes electronics, and strips them of valuable metal that he can sell for a profit. Parker even built a “Hard Drive Crusher” to ensure that valuable information from recycled computers is properly destroyed.

“With identity theft nowadays, it’s shocking what people just throw to the curb or leave in a dumpster,” said Parker. He continued, “Now I’m able to go to a business and guarantee that I’m not taking any of their information with me.”

With the exception of certain televisions (due to shipping and costs associated with lead removal), electronic items can be recycled for free at many of the locations listed on the Lucas County webpage.