TechBirmingham Ecycling Day a Huge Success
More than 17,000 e-waste items collected and approximately 76 tons of electronics waste diverted from Alabama's landfills in Birmingham region's first coordinated electronics recycling effort
(PRWEB) April 29, 2005 -- Two Girl Scout troops from Helena took time off
last week from selling their cookies to help save the earth. They joined more
than 200 volunteers including members of Birmingham’s technology community and
several dozen college students to help collect old electronic equipment for
TechBirmingham Ecycling Day on April 22. These girls and their troop leaders
staffed one of the 15 collection sites across the Birmingham, Alabama region.
Many of the volunteers gathered at the McWane Center on Wednesday night for a
thank you reception to hear the preliminary collection numbers of computers,
monitors, keyboards, printers, and cell phones.
The numbers announced
included:
· Computers = 3548
· Monitors = 4124
· Laptops = 41
·
Keyboards = 2581
· Printers/Faxes = 2039
· Cell phones = 564
· Over
5000 miscellaneous items, weighing in excess of 10,000 lbs.
These numbers
represent the preliminary count of items received from the general public at the
collection day on April 22 and the generous response from the corporate
community. The institutional donations began earlier in the month.
“We
were excited to see such a fantastic turnout from the community on Earth Day.
The volunteers were the backbone of the successful event and worked tirelessly
unloading every type of electronic device imaginable,” said Curtis Palmer,
president of TechBirmingham. “The more than 17,000 items we received represent
approximately seventy-six tons of electronic equipment that have been diverted
from Alabama’s landfills.”
While most of the items received will be
recycled and demanufactured, many can be refurbished. Over 20 grant applications
were received from non-profits, schools, and churches seeking access to the
reusable computers donated for TechBirmingham Ecycling Day. Each recipient
organization will refurbish their allocated computers with software donated by
Microsoft.
On Wednesday night, TechBirmingham also announced the first
two allocations of items collected.
The first 20 usable laptops collected
have been awarded to Vulcan Park Foundation. These laptops, along with wireless
Internet capability, will allow Vulcan Park the flexibility to integrate
Internet use in existing children’s workshops, create new educational
opportunities designed specifically for learning about how wireless Internet
works and offer the community access to a valuable resource. Vulcan Park is
looking forward to providing wireless Internet access by becoming a “hot spot”
in the near future. Through their collaborations and educational efforts, Vulcan
Park Foundation will begin to bridge the digital divide in the Birmingham
region.
In addition, the first 30 desktop systems collected have been
awarded to the BatterUp initiative. BatterUp is a research-based, Integrated
Learning System (ILS) designed to reinforce 1st through 8th grade students’
basic math skills. Started several years ago as a local event, this initiative
has grown into a regional competition. The first Southeastern Regional
Tournament for BatterUp will be held at the McWane Center in downtown
Birmingham, Alabama on May 6, 2005 and will feature student teams from Alabama,
Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. In addition to competing in the math
competition, six schools with the largest number of participants will be awarded
the computers donated from the TechBirmingham Ecycling Day to use in their own
classrooms. Virginia College has been engaged to refurbish the donated computers
prior to installation at the McWane Center. More details about the BatterUp
software program and competition may be found on www.CompuSage.com.
Strategic partners for the TechBirmingham Ecycling Day event
included:
· Alabama Computer Disposal Group / computer recycler
·
Coca-Cola / refreshment for volunteer workforce
· Computer Help for Kids /
refurbishment experts and program management
· Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 4 / advisor
· Handoff Wireless / cell phone recycler
· City
of Hoover / logistics and consolidation warehouse
· Microsoft / software for
refurbished computers
· PODS / logistics and storage units
· Printer
Connection / printer recycler
· Streamline Communications, a Verizon retailer
/ communications sponsor
· SunGard / website and program management
· FOX6
WBRC / presenting media partner
For more information about TechBirmingham
Ecycling Day, see www.EcyclingDay.com. For more information about TechBirmingham
and its other activities, see www.TechBirmingham.com.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/4/prweb234838.htm