10.25.2006 - 01:43pm ET

(CSRwire) WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 2006--Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) and three regional Goodwill Industries operations today introduced Reconnect, a free drop-off program for recycling of unwanted computers.

Reconnect will serve consumers in 49 of 100 North Carolina counties and five counties in South Carolina. The program leverages Dell's resources and global recycling experience and the donation and retail infrastructure of Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina, Central North Carolina and the Southern Piedmont.

Reconnect will help protect the environment through the responsible recycling or reuse of computer equipment, and provides residents a convenient opportunity to support a local non-profit organization.

The program's goal is two-fold: divert more than five million pounds of used computers and computer equipment from area landfills over the next year; and provide consumer education on the importance of environmentally responsible computer disposal. Reconnect also will create job opportunities for individuals with disabilities and other employment barriers.

"I want to thank Dell and Goodwill for bringing this important initiative to 49 North Carolina counties," said Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue. "This effort will not only keep computers out of our landfills, it will also support Goodwill's job-training and employment services."

Beginning today, residents of the northwestern, central and southern regions of North Carolina and Mecklenburg, Gaston, Lincoln, Union, Cleveland, York and Lancaster counties in South Carolina can call toll-free, 1-888-4-GOODWILL or 1-866-48 REUSE (73873), or visit www.reconnectpartnership.com to locate the most convenient drop-off location at any of the 114 participating Goodwill donation centers and retail stores.

Goodwill will accept and sort the donated computer equipment and Dell's product recovery partner will recycle and remarket the recycled materials, such as plastics, glass and metals. All proceeds support Goodwill's non-profit job-training and employment programs.

Residents will be responsible for removing data from hard drives and other storage media before donating to Goodwill. Goodwill staff will provide donors with a donation receipt at the time of donation.

"It's a privilege to partner with Dell in this initiative that furthers Goodwill's mission and benefits our communities," said Art Gibel, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina. "Reconnect provides a proactive solution to the very real issue of environmentally responsible electronics disposal."

"We are pleased to be aligned with such a good corporate citizen like Dell," said Rick Gorham, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina. "I believe this initiative is a win-win for our citizens and the communities we serve. While cognizant of a growing challenge that e-waste presents, we are now able to successfully recycle these materials, employ and train individuals in this market and create a revenue stream to support the growing mission of serving larger and broader audiences."

"The growing number of computers reaching the end of their useful life presents a challenge for all communities," said Michael Elder, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. "Opening our ComputerWorks Store in early 2006 has allowed us to sell functioning computers and related equipment at reasonable prices while keeping those items out of our landfills. The Dell-Goodwill partnership is a unique initiative that will greatly enhance our efforts to keep non-working computers out of the waste stream."

Other Goodwill-Dell programs are under way in Austin (15 counties in Central Texas), San Francisco (Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties), San Antonio (23 counties in Central and South Texas), San Diego County, Pittsburgh and throughout the state of Michigan.

"As Dell grows, we continue to expand our commitment to the region," said Travis Simpson, Dell vice president of North Carolina operations. "This new recycling program highlights Dell's community involvement and our commitment to making computer recycling easy and affordable for consumers."

Since beginning operations in the Piedmont Triad Region, Dell and its employees have provided grants, equipment and volunteer time to numerous schools and school systems, museums, government agencies, non-profit groups and events. The company also held a one-day computer recycling event in June 2005 in Forsyth County, collecting 45 tons of used computer equipment from consumers.

Dell's manufacturing facility in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region this month celebrated its one-year anniversary. The plant -- Dell's largest -- currently produces OptiPlex(TM) and Dimension(TM) desktop systems for U.S. East Coast business and consumer customers.

About Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina

Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina Inc. sells donated goods in its retail stores to help underwrite workforce development programs that help people find jobs and become more independent. In 2005 alone, the organization served over 10,000 people across its 31-county territory. Services offered at its nine training centers include: job readiness, career planning and preparation, work experience opportunities, job placement, skills training classes, youth programs and job coaching. For more information, visit www.goodwillnwnc.org.

About Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina

Since 1963, Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina Inc. has built partnerships within the community to meet the needs of people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Through these partnerships, Goodwill Industries provides vocational evaluation, training, employment and job-placement services. The North Carolina Division of Vocational Rehabilitation contracts with Goodwill Industries to provide evaluation, work adjustment, curriculum training and job placement services. Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina encompasses Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Randolph and Rockingham counties. For more information, visit www.triadgoodwill.org.

About Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont began providing services in 1965. Goodwill operates 17 retail stores and has 31 total donation sites in seven counties in the Southern Piedmont region of North and South Carolina (Mecklenburg, Gaston, Lincoln, Union, Cleveland, York and Lancaster counties). Proceeds from the sale of donated goods fund employment and training services for individuals facing barriers to employment. In 2005, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont served more than 7,100 people with barriers to employment, placed more than 1,900 people in competitive employment and matched 130 income-eligible families with donated cars. For more information, visit www.goodwillsp.org.

About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell sells more systems globally than any computer company, placing it No. 25 on the Fortune 500. Company revenue for the past four quarters was $57.4 billion. For more information, visit http://www.dell.com. To get Dell news direct, visit http://www.dell.com/RSS.



Copyright Business Wire 2006

For more information please contact: