Western U.P. electronic waste collections set: June 21 in Houghton and Keweenaw counties; July 12 in Baraga County; dates for other areas TBA
The Western Upper Peninsula Electronics Recycling Program, a project of the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), provides households with an environmentally and economically sound solution to disposing of electronic waste.
Residents of Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon Counties, who have generated electronic waste in their household, may bring their items to e-waste collection sites on the specified collection dates in their area.
The initiative received grants and/or other assistance from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The northern Michigan collection is connected to the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge that involves over 100 projects in eight states across the Great Lakes Basin.
More than a dozen previous collections since 2005 have garnered nearly 48 tons of e-waste from over 850 participants.
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2005: 8 collections, 26.5 tons
2006: 4 collections, 15 tons
2007: 1 collection, 6.25 tons
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Commonly called e-waste, electronics waste includes old and broken computers, cell phones, TVs and other items found in many homes.
The collection for Houghton and Keweenaw counties will be on June 21 from 9 am to noon at the health department offices in Hancock.
An e-waste collection will be held in Baraga County on July 12 from 10 a.m. to noon at a site to be announced.
Collection events for other Copper Country counties will be announced in the future.
The cost to drop off e-waste is 10 cents per pound.
The Western Upper Peninsula Electronics Recycling Program will accept a wide range of e-waste during collection events including cell phones, computer and related equipment like laptops, monitors, towers aka central processing units, printers, scanners, keyboards and computer mice
Other e-waste accepted includes stereo equipment, televisions, VCR and DVD players, copiers, cordless telephones, fax machines, fluorescent light bulbs that are 4 to 8 feet in length, microwave ovens and batteries including alkaline, nickel cadmium, lead acid, lithium, mercury.
Organizers said it estimated that between 1997 and 2007, nearly 500 million personal computers will became obsolete. That's almost 2 computers for every person living in the United States.
TV's and computer monitors contain an average of 4 pounds of lead, as well as other toxins.
According to Closing the Circle News, the manufacture of one computer consumes 529 pounds of fossil fuels, 49 pounds of chemicals, and 3,307 pounds of water.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency projects that nationwide nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next five years.
For additional information contact the Western Upper Peninsula Electronics Recycling Program or RSVP at 906-482-7382.
The goal of the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge was the collecting and recycling of one million pounds of electronics (e-Waste) plus the collection and proper disposal of one million pills. The EPA says those goals were exceeded by 400 to 500 percent.
The Earth Healing Initiative assisted some challenge organizers by offering interfaith liaisons to volunteer and encourage members of local churches and temples to participate in the Earth Day related events in their area.
This video on the projects connected to the Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge was made possible by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the EPA's Region 5 office in Chicago, the EPA Great Lakes national Program Office also in Chicago in cooperation with the non-profit Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative in Marquette, MI.
The EHI involves American Indian tribes and a coalition of churches, synagogues and other faith traditions joining together to heal, protect and defend the environment.
Im Greg Peterson and youre watching Earth Healing TV
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Related websites:
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Western Upper Peninsula District Health Department:
http://www.wupdhd.org
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e-waste info:
http://www.wupdhd.org/rsvp/e-waste.html
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RSVP:
http://www.wupdhd.org/rsvp/index.html
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Contact info:
Western Upper Peninsula District Health Department and the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program
540 Depot Street
Hancock, MI
49930
Barbara Maronen
906-482-7382
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EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois
http://www.epa.gov/region5
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Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative
http://www.EarthHealingInitiative.org
906-401-0109
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Cedar Tree Institute
http://www.CedarTreeInstitute.org
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Interfaith graphics by Justice St. Rain (Baha'i Community) of Interfaith Resources - Special Ideas website:
http://www.interfaithresources.com
Justice St. Rain
1-800-326-1197 (toll free)
1-847-733-3559 (wk)
Interfaith Resources
P.O. Box 9
511 Diamond Rd
Heltonville, IN
47436
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