SouthSTAR Services electronics recycling provides jobs for those with disabilities

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) -- Eco Processors is a growing electronic recycling business of Chicago Heights' SouthSTAR Services.

All of the employees are people with disabilities who have good work skills and talent.

"All of the copper goes in one pile and all of the plastic goes in another pile," said Dan Strick, president and CEO of SouthSTAR Services. "What we do is when we have enough of one product, we can sell that to commodity off to a broker."

"Copper, valuable metals are in all of the electronics, and that creates revenue for SouthSTAR and helps pay the wage for people who work here," Strick said.

The economically-friendly and environmentally-conscious Eco Processors started last year.

"We wanted to create jobs for people with disabilities because the options for jobs are limited, and we also wanted to create a potential revenue stream for SouthSTAR since we are a non-profit organization," Strick said.

Currently they have 40 employees.

"We train them actually at our main facility in Chicago Heights, once they've acquired the necessary skills, we bring them here and they are employed here on a part-time basis and they receive minimum wage for their work," Strick said.

"One of our goals is the individuals that we train here and work here, they may take a job at another organization for profit electronics recycling if they so desire," Strick said.

Kelly Howard, 27, was one of the first employees for Eco Processors.

"I take computers apart," Howard said.

"More and more people are bringing products to us, and more and more people are asking us to pick up their products," Strick said. "We've actually partnered with a number of local legislators who have recycling days and so were there to take care of electronics recycling."

As of 2013, Illinois residents can no longer throw old electronic in garbage or landfills.

For more information visit www.SouthStarServices.org.