A Barrie business is making an environmental difference one piece of electronics at a time.

Thriftopia.com recycles, salvages and resells electronic items, keeping them out of landfills.

Owner Patrick Hebert runs the company with his partner Tammy Markham and his brother Jon.

Hebert has always had a passion for fixing computers and recognized a need for a solution to getting rid of old electronics.

“We recycle unwanted items, specializing in electronics, through salvage, resale and consignment,” Hebert said.

“If someone has even one item that they don’t want we offer free pick up in Barrie.”

The company will pick up the waste free of charge, helping you to bypass fees for dropping items off at the dump.

“People have been just thrilled to give it to us,” said Tammy Markham. “They don’t know what to do with it.”

Hebert said they don’t turn away items based on their age or their condition, but there are some items, specifically televisions, computer monitors and microwaves, that the company likes to stay away from.

“Unfortunately, monitors are harder to recycle because they contain toxic chemicals like lead, mercury and phosphorous vapours,” he said.

The company plans to collect 10 tonnes of electronic waste by next April to help reduce the amount of electronics in landfills.

“We're not in it just for the money, we actually do want to make a difference with the environment,” Hebert said.

For more information visit www.thriftopia.com.