Feed a School; Impact the Environment

Schools eat up the recycling-for-a-cause events since they are hurting for funds. They are eager donate electronic waste to help raise the money that is taken away through budget cuts, and mandated programs that deplete school funding.

Often, events are held in tandem with other weekend events; car washes, mini-carnivals, Shred trucks, etc. Students also help raise the money needed for programs, bus trips, new electronics, uniforms, instruments, and more.

A recycling company (BlueStar) is called to setup and collect monitors, hard drives, TVs, laptops, old cellphones, printers, computers from the public who drive them in.  Teachers, students, and parents happily show up to help cut wire, unload electronics from vehicles, collect money (usually an employee from Blue Star does this), and general set-up and clean-up after the event is over.

The students send out E-vites online, post on Facebook, Tweet, send home fliers with other students, and ask their parents to help, or advertise at their work…anything to get the word out. Students often earn community service points – a graduation requirement at many schools. They work hard, and look forward to the end of day rewards (find out the cut for their class goal).

When this type of event is encouraged, students learn so much about finding their way. They find a way to get what they need by putting a little of themselves out there. Helping the environment is a great lesson in appreciating what they have, what their future can hold, and how their efforts impact others.

What Happened To My Old Ipod?

So…now you have made a conscious effort to help the environment, and safely dispose of your electronic waste (e-waste); ipods, hard drives, computers, printers, cellphones, monitors, laptops, batteries, etc. Upon asking yourself what happens to them now; you need to know how this impacts our earth.

The recycling process can be tedious and difficult. From circuit boards, to wire, to small knobs on speakers; while nearly all electronic parts can be recycled, each one must be carefully considered in the process of what’s next.

Steel, plastic, glass; many parts of the electronic units are stripped out and separated, even the copper wire. Once separated, parts are sold to recycling houses to be constructed into other uses – perhaps other computers, printers, handheld devices, etc.

Each item has a “house” or place to go in the U.S. when it’s of no more use. The copper wire for example, is collected and sent to a wire cutter, and a smelting (melting) house. Plastics are sold to a plastics recycling company, and the same is true for the steel, glass, gold, and other precious metals.

Almost 100% of an electronic item can be recycled. This is huge in the grand scheme of how we treat our planet. Think about this as you decide to let your electronics “go” due to age, poor performance, or the need for the latest in upgrades that make you more successful by improving your efficiency.