DE PERE, Wis. — The sight of 200 obsolete computers at a friend’s salvage yard was the inspiration for Lee Kuhl to launch Norsec Computer Recyclers.

What You Need To Know

  • Electronics were banned from Wisconsin landfills in 2010
  • Over the past four years, more people around the state have been recycling or resting old electronics
  • Norsec Computer Rescyclers in De Pere started in a garage 16 years ago​

“It’s different than what we normally get to do and that’s what makes it even more special because it’s a skill set that I have and I can contribute to something that feels a lot bigger than me,” special projects researcher Bridget Ladell said. “Even more than my regular science work.”

This June, the team will return to Belgium to continue a dig they started. Konsitske said they have about 40% left to comb through and hope to bring home a veteran to their family on this mission.

“We will be using about two excavators, 15 individuals, and we go in and we work roughly six days a week,” Konsitzke said.

The team is able to use their talents and tools to provide peace to a handful of families. 

Kuhl said he’s seen the number of people and businesses bringing in old electronics increase in the past five years.

“There are still some people who have a basement full of stuff, but more and more we go and clean that stuff out, especially businesses,” he said. “When we first started, every business we went to had a room dedicated to just overflow IT equipment. Now we can get them down to having a shelf.”

A recent survey from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said more households are recycling old electronics. However, it also shows many people are still holding on to that old equipment because they don’t know what to do with it.

The department offers a website listing businesses like Norsec that collect old electronics.

Norsec employee Josh Cravillion said his work feels like it has a bigger purpose.

“You’ve always got the thought in the back of your mind that you’re doing something for the betterment of the world, the environment,” he said. “You’re going green as some would say.”

The staff at Norsec see a little bit of everything come through the door: either through collection drives, pickups from businesses, or directly from residents in northeast Wisconsin.

“Anywhere from just a keyboard mouse to a computer, TVs,” Cravillion said. “Anything that plugs in.”

The DNR said the biggest barriers to recycling are knowing where to take unused items and the cost of recycling.

Norsec only charges for televisions and computer monitors. Everything else — including dehumidifiers — it takes apart and either sends the components to a specialized recycler or refurbisher.

“I like it because we’re keeping things out of the landfill and trying to clean the Earth up as best we can,” Kuhl said.