http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/79524/
Chris Rodinis
February 12th, 2013
This post is a sampling of e-waste recycling around the country. This time in Georgia. The article was written by Savannah King of the Gainesville Times and it tells how young people can make a difference in the world.
Two Gainesville High School (Georgia) Juniors deserve big time props for taking action on the environment. And props to them for bringing attention to sustainability and electronic waste! They are Sara Brown and Iridian Pacheco.
Some people look at an old broken cell phone or computer and see trash, but not Sara and Iridian. They saw an opportunity. Trashing e-waste is against the law in some states because of the toxic waste that it contains.
Reusing Is a Priority
The first priority of e-waste is reuse if possible. The second is to recycle safely.
So to raise awareness of these two principles and to perform a service to the community these two Juniors took action!
They constructed their own recycling kiosk made from their school cafeteria’s left over cardboard boxes. They even added a nice display touch in the form a colorful recycling tree (pictured).
Now fellow students, community members and local businesses have an easily recognizable safe drop off spot for their e-waste. Concerned about your e-waste? Drop it at the Gainesville High School Recycling Tree and be concerned no more!
As time goes on, surely word will spread and this kiosk will need frequent purging!
If you are wondering what sparked their interest, it was a research assignment conducted for “an upcoming regional Family Career and Community Leaders of America Students Taking Action with Recognition competition.”
Research for Homework
During their research they realized what a big impact e-waste has on the environment. And to think that every electronic gadget, phone, computer, tv, vacuum cleaner…you name will eventually be e-waste
“When people don’t recycle cellphones, either they throw them away or lose them, they break apart and chemicals from the phone get into the soil and affect the environment,” Brown said.
She said some of the hazardous chemicals, such as lithium and arsenic, could cause health problems.
Like most people, myself included, the young women were not aware of the dangers inherent in trashing old cell phones and computers.
To find out how many fellow classmates were unaware, the young women conducted a survey. This confirmed their worst suspicions that most people simply do not know that trashing electronics is a bad practice.
“Whittney McPherson, FCCLA adviser at Gainesville High School, said the idea that cellphones could be damaging to the environment was ‘kind of outside the realm’ of some students.”
“They’re so technological, they didn’t even realize.” McPherson said. “Most of them change phones every year.
As a way of promoting their e-waste kiosk, the young women, briefly lectured each homeroom class to start the conservation about e-waste awareness.
“We made a PowerPoint (presentation) that explains statistics and all the effects (chemicals) have on the human body,” Pacheco said. “We just tell them to recycle their phones. It’s better for the environment and everyone else.”
Early Results are Encouraging
The kiosk is already proving itself with 15 phones collected.
“People from the community can bring in old computers; it doesn’t matter if they’re broken or smashed,” McPherson said. “We just want to make sure the insides of the phones don’t get into the environment.”
For more information about electronic waste recycling please visit:
www.EwasteWiz.com