Manuel Santos was grateful last month as he disassembled a personal computer and separated the parts to recycle on one of his last days at Tech Dump’s warehouse in St. Paul’s Midway. Santos left an $11-an-hour job at Tech Dump for a 40 percent raise plus benefits at a Minneapolis manufacturer.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity,” said Santos, 33, who once spent several months in jail. “I am moving to a job that pays better and provides benefits for my family. I work with good people here. And it gives me a sense of value to categorize things, recycle and restore.”
“We’re proving that nothing needs to be disposed — electronics or people,” said Tech Dump CEO Amanda LaGrange.