What began as a small employee initiative at
Gentex Corp. has grown into a community-focused effort to tackle the growing challenge of electronic waste.
The company’s annual electronics recycling event, now in its eighth year, has become a cornerstone of its sustainability strategy. It has also become a model for how corporations can help households responsibly manage difficult-to-recycle items.
The event was launched in 2017 for Gentex employees. Over time, it expanded to include their families and, more recently, their friends, boosting awareness of proper e-waste disposal. Participation has increased each year except for the pandemic year 2020.
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GentexA Gentex employee at the company's annual electronics recycling event.
Emily Haslinger is Gentex’s sustainability manager, a role she took on after 14 years with the company. She says the inspiration for the event came from a customer.
It helped Gentex recognize the need for accessible and affordable recycling options for electronics that often end up in landfills due to the cost or inconvenience of proper disposal.
Diverting hazardous waste
Electronic devices often contain hazardous materials, including heavy metals, that pose environmental risks if not handled properly. By partnering with recycling provider Green Earth, Gentex makes sure that collected items are reused, refurbished, or responsibly dismantled, keeping them out of landfills.
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GentexEmily Haslinger
Commonly recycled items include phones, laptops, and televisions. Occasionally, more unusual items show up, Haslinger says, including treadmills, vacuum cleaners, and vintage electronics.
“Our goal is to reduce barriers and create easy access points for responsible recycling,” Haslinger says. “By covering the cost of recycling for items that typically carry fees, like TVs and devices with refrigerants, we’re encouraging people to take action.”
The event is part of a larger sustainability strategy at Gentex that prioritizes waste reduction, greenhouse gas mitigation, and community engagement.
Planning for the event involves coordination across multiple departments. Communication teams handle internal outreach and signage, while the Facilities team and volunteers manage parking and traffic flow.
“Planning for the event each year includes several departments meeting to iron out the details and determine who will cover what pieces. Many groups work to make it all come together on event day,” Haslinger says. “Getting the word out to our employees is a large part of the success of the event. We also schedule the event with the hours of all of our working shifts in mind.”
She says the event’s evolution reflects Gentex’s belief that sustainability shouldn’t stop at the workplace.
“Gentex has a robust recycling strategy in place to prevent scrap commodities from ending up in the landfill, and we continue to explore new strategies to increase our recycling and reuse,” Haslinger says.
Support beyond the company
Organizers say the event’s consistent growth signals strong demand for corporate-led environmental programs that involve families and individuals, not just employees.
Haslinger, who has worked in roles ranging from industrial engineering to environmental compliance, brings a personal passion to her work. Raised by parents who helped launch her hometown’s first residential recycling program, she has long viewed sustainability as a community responsibility.
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GentexGentex employees unload two TVs during the company's annual electronics recycling event.
During her first visit to Gentex, when she was applying for a job, she saw opportunities to reduce waste. During a tour of the production floor, she saw large volumes of glass scrap, a byproduct she later helped divert from landfills by supporting a glass recycling initiative. It’s now one of the company’s most impactful environmental programs.
Her current role focuses on expanding similar efforts, including electronics recycling and building systems to track and improve Gentex’s sustainability performance.
Much of her work involves collaborating with employees who bring forward ideas for reducing waste. She and the Resource Recovery team evaluate those proposals, identify viable solutions, and help launch new recycling programs.
“Gentex’s goal is to minimize our impact on the environment, create and implement robust sustainability programs, and operate in a socially responsible manner,” Haslinger says.
“The electronics recycling event broadens that further to provide Gentex employees and their family and friends an environmentally friendly, free-of-charge outlet for safely recycling items from the home they may not know how to properly dispose of otherwise.”
Photos provided by Gentex