AVA’s Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How does AVA Recycling destroy hard drive data?
A. AVA uses updated state of the art equipment and programs depending on the drives potential for reuse. The equipment overwrites the drives’ sectors according to the US Department of Defense standard 5220.22m using equipment or software that has been
NIST tested as working and effective.

Q.What about smashing the hard drive with a hammer or a pick or drilling through the platter?
A.These methods render the drive inoperable and shatter the drives platter, but data still remains and can be extracted by means of optical equipment e.g a laboratory microscope.
The same is the case with shredding a hard drive. The best method to assure destruction is to magnetically erase the platter and then shred or incinerate. This method is time consuming, tedious and not really cost effective in the long run. AVA provides businesses and individuals a highly effective method of erasure for a low cost and back’s its assurance with a certificate of disposal.

Q. Why does AVA and other electronic recyclers charge fee’s for CRT monitor and TV recycling?
A. CRT. TV’s & computer monitors, unlike the LED monitors contain high amounts of lead, cadmium, phosphorus and other toxic chemicals which must be processed in specific ways that require specialized cutting of the bell, extracting the toxic chemicals, washing and grinding of glass using equipment that is expensive to operate and involve costly man hours to run.   

Q. What does the total landfill ban in Illinois cover?
A. The IL Public Act 95-0959 - Electronic Products Recycling & Reuse Act was passed by the legislature in Springfield IL in September of 2008 and took effect Jan.1st.2010, regulating collections and processing of consumer electronics in the state. A planned total ban on landfilling automatically goes into effect Jan.1st. 2012. TV’s, computers such as laptop/desktop’s, notebooks, monitors (crt & lcd) computer peripherals, VCR’s/DVD, MP3 players, gaming systems and other electronics will be banned from landfills. Essentially this means that they cannot go into dumpsters, or collected with household waste/garbage etc. and will require special collection sites as provided by county or municipality. 
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Q. Do you do residential pick up? What happens if the items are inside the house?
A. We are a unique company who does offer a pick up service. IF you want us to go inside of your home we are able to retrieve the items at the owers expense. AVA Recycling and its affilaites are not liable to any damages.