Being an EScrap collection site vs EScrap recycler...........

I am new to this site and just became a member. Lots of helpful stuff on here and glad I joined. I was wondering if anyone on here has an opinion on becoming an EScrap recycler. I currently have a bottle/can redemption center (we have nickel deposits on cans/bottles here in NY) that also serves as an EScrap collection site which allows people to drop off all their electronics that they no longer use. What I do is put everything on pallets, and then a company comes and picks everything up and pays me 6 cents a pound for being the middleman. They take everything and break it down and sell all the parts and pieces. I have been offering this service for a few months, but it has not taken me long to realize the money is in being the acutal dismantler/recycler, not the collection site. Is anyone out there an actual dismantler/recycler? I am aware of having to register with the state, but my main concerns are how to make sure I am able to erase any hard drives that come in, and finding exactly where to sell the scrap to. It seems like there are a lot of shady places on the internet that want to by all the circuit boards I can get them. I will also need to get rid of the CRT glass and LCD monitor parts and pieces. I can obviously use my local scrap yards to sell the metal, wiring, etc. to, and I have also found places that will by the plastic. Anyone have any experience in this or should I just take the easy, less profitable road of being a collection site. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Jim

P.S. Just to give you a rough idea of volume, I have taken in around 30,000 pounds of escrap since March, made up of primarily tvs, monitors, towers, laptops, and various household items (microwaves, games, phones, etc)

Hello HVRC, I would recommend that you post an introduction in the "Introduce Yourself" thread on this forum. You will find a wealth of knowledge on this site that can educate you on exactly the issues you are asking about. Look in the upper right hand corner of the screen for the "search box", this is your friend. Also, any thread that you read will have, below the last post, a listing of similar threads that have already been posted. Best of luck luck to you HVRC, and again I would recommend an introduction.

Look at the top for buyers and sellers

You are on the right track and the best advice is to start reading: Electronics Recycling - Scrap Metal Forum

Short note; CRT disposal will need to be figured out shortly. There are a few recommendations here for software and ideas to wipe hard drives.

Do you have an exclusive contract in place with this company? There are some things better left for bigger outfits to deal with. You could just keep what you wanted, and sell the rest to the company. Just a thought.

Find a proper outlet for the tubes then charge a small fee for recycling the TV's and monitors. All the rest we have quite a few good buyers to take care of you. You can read their reviews in the buyers section and make your own informed decision.
We have one member that started out as a SIS (supplemental scrapper) and now deals in gaylord boxes full at a time.
It would be a good addition to your business. Might even overtake it,

Their are several things you will need to consider when dealing with NY

1. You will need to first register for license. I believe the fee is 200-400

2. You will need to renew this license every year

3. You need to weigh every item that comes though the door and is processed.

4. Nothing can go to a landfill it all must make it to a proper recycle per your license.

5. You must submit quarterly reviews of your weight and all down stream buyers of your ewaste including what when where and how much of it weight wise.

6. Expect surprise inspections and have a good size building to do all this in.