Eastern Environmental Technologies, Inc.
Neil Farans, President
800-808-7227

Neil Farans of Eastern Environmental Technologies (EET) didn’t set out to recycle hazardous materials, and unlike many in the recycling industry, he wasn’t born into it. Nor did he research the business and decide that it was a moneymaker.

Farans took a rather interesting route into the business, beginning with an “independent gasoline business” that he owned at the time. This was before the big names owned the market, and independent gas stations were a common sight.

In his body shop, an energy efficiency program had begun, and one step was the removal of all the lighting, replacing it with more energy-efficient lights. A salesman came in and offered a deal on replacing all the lights, and Farans agreed.

“They left all the ballasts on the floor,” Farans said, explaining that he hadn’t realized that he was going to be stuck with the ballasts that had been removed from the old lights. A little research told him that there was no way to properly dispose of the material – about the only option he had was to store the material on his property indefinitely.

Farans found out that the problem with the ballasts was the PCBs, and that he wasn’t the only one with this problem. He decided to find a solution, and consulted with experts in Washington who explained that “as long as the PCBs are separated, the metal can be recycled.”

In 1985, EET was incorporated as an environmental consulting company. By 1990, the company was specializing in PCB waste removal. “We were the pioneers of recycling ballasts,” Farans said.

Today, the company handles a wide variety of hazardous waste materials, including PCB and non-PCB ballasts, lamps, computer scrap, batteries, scrap containing mercury, waste oil and chemicals, and asbestos.

Material that is recyclable gets separated and recycled. The hazardous materials get incinerated or disposed of properly in a hazardous waste landfill.

EET operates nationwide with only seven employees. The company has EPA permits in states that require them, and uses DOT approved carriers to transport the material from customer sites.

“Everybody likes what they’re doing,” Faran said of his employees. “It’s nice to feel that you’re doing something good.” As for him, Farans said, “I am in for protecting what environment we have left. It costs to get rid of things, but we need to protect it. What we’re doing, we’re doing for the good, rather than destroying it.”

Recycling some hazardous materials has become easier than when Farens first started the business. He said, “The best thing the government did was the universal waste rule. People are willing to recycle, if there isn’t a lot of paperwork.”

Farans explained that the universal waste rule makes it easier for people and businesses to dispose of products properly. As a result, more gets recycled.

EET makes the recycling as easy as possible for customers, handling all of the paperwork “from cradle to grave.” He noted that selling his services can be difficult because “people are trying to save every penny.” But when it comes to hazardous material, “you can’t dump it,” he said. “Fines and lawsuits are a lot more expensive than recycling or proper disposal.”