Grays Ferry business owner responsibly recycling electronics for 40+ years at eForce Recycling

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- For Jay Segal, recycling has always been part of life. He says his father owned a "junk shop" and while working summers there he got "really tuned into metals."

Segal originally worked in scrap metal but started an electronic recovery business in 1982. He says he realized "there was a large supply of electronics" and wanted to help keep it out of landfills.

"I picked a business that's going to pay back," he says.

Today, Segal is president of eForce Recycling, a company that manages electronic waste.

"We do anywhere from three to five million pounds a year," he says. "We're really a service business."

They recycle a variety of items, like laptop computers, printers and air conditioners.

"We'll take anything with a plug," he says.

Segal has a large supply of motherboards from computers ready for recycling. Parts like this are mined for recyclables.

"The board itself is about 22% copper and the rest is components to get melted down," he says. "There's gold, platinum, palladium - all different kinds of alloys."

Other items can get a refresh.

"We'll clean the hard drives and resell the laptops," he says.

Segal says he grew the company from the inside out.

"I have people here that are with me for 40 years," he says.

Among them is Willie Harper who works in de-manufacturing.

"Willie takes off the printed circuit board and throws it back into this drum, this container here," he says.

From there, hard drives get shredded to keep data protected. The business is certified by NAID, the National Association for Information Destruction.

"That's the biggest part of this business is compliancy - doing it the correct way," says Segal.

They also take universal waste, which he says can include "bulbs, batteries, anything fluorescent."

"We collect everything, package it properly, and send it to our downstream vendor," he says.

Segal's two sons, Jon and Andrew, also work in the business.

"He's been able to keep over 50 million pounds of electronics out of landfills, oceans," says Andrew Segal, Head of Operations for eForce Recycling. "It's remarkable."

Jon Segal handles business development. He says he's "beyond proud" of the business his father created, not just because of its success, but also its environmental impact.

Jay Segal says he is also pleased with what they've been able to keep out of landfills.

"It's a good feeling," he says.

For more information, visit eForce Recycling online at eforcecompliance.com.

eForce Recycling
1229 South Napa Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146