UM To Sponsor Fifth Annual E-Waste Recycling Event

ANN ARBOR -- The University of Michigan's Office of Campus Sustainability and the Ann Arbor Public Schools are sponsoring a free e-waste recycling event designed to help area residents, small businesses and non-profits dispose of electronics in an earth-friendly way.

The Office of Campus Sustainability, which serves as the focal point for sustainable campus operations, is coordinating the three-day event. The recycling days will be held at Pioneer High School and at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District office.

Dates, times and logistics for equipment drop-off are:
* General public: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Saturday, May 5, at Pioneer High School. Enter from Main Street at the corner of West Stadium Boulevard.
* Local businesses and nonprofit organizations: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Thursday and Friday, May 3-4, at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District office, 1819 S. Wagner Road. Pre-registration at michigan.poweron.com/p/register is encouraged to ensure adequate staffing, but is not required.

"Community participation is crucial to the success of the event," said Terry Alexander, executive director of the UM Office of Campus Sustainability. "Since 2008, residents and business owners have engaged in this free opportunity to safely and securely dispose of their electronics, and we are pleased to continue to offer this service to the community and help protect the balance of our environment."

E-waste is the fastest-growing type of waste in the country and frequently contains hazardous materials like lead and mercury, which can adversely affect the environment. Everything from laptops and desktops, televisions and telephones are collected at the event. Following the event, equipment is properly disassembled, shredded and recycled into raw materials to be reused to manufacture new items.

This is the fifth year UM has sponsored this event. The 2011 event filled 20 semi-trailers and kept nearly 300 tons of hazardous e-waste out of local landfills. All equipment is destroyed and recycled in an environmentally sound manner by a fully permitted recycling facility.

For a complete list of accepted materials, and additional information, visit: www.ocs.umich.edu.