Recycling Electronics for Charity
Celebrities come out to support charities and safe disposal of e-waste.
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Items such as ink-jets, cellphones, laptops, monitors, keyboards, and much more can be brought to the event.
E-waste is on the rise as technology advances prompting users to make space for new products.
E-waste
items include electronic products that are nearing or reached the end
of their functionality, like computers, TVs and cellphones.
In
California alone, an estimated six million computer monitors and
televisions are piled up in storage units and attics, according to
governmental recycling agency CalRecycle.
Los
Angeles County’s waste per person in 2010 was expected to amount to 6.9
pounds per person, according to a disposal rate report by CalRecycle.
However, the county’s waste came out to be just 4.2 pounds per person.
To
continue this waste reduction, Planet Green and the Borgnine Group have
partnered to create a day for the public to get rid of electronic waste
while raising money for charity.
“Recycle, Reuse, Rejoice!” will be held at The Sportsman's Lodge Hotel in Studio City from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, December 10.
The environmental benefit can be seen with the amount of resources that will be saved, said Planet Green spokewoman Mary Mussard.
Saturday’s event will be the first of its kind.
Planet Green will partner with the Borgnine Group to include celebrities and their various charities, Mussard said.
Kevin Sorbo from "Hercules" and Anson Williams of "Happy Days" will be just a few of the celebrities on hand at the event.
Charities
that will benefit include A World Fit for Kids, The Sunshine Kids, The
ALS Association, Nothing but Net Campaign, The Boys & Girls Club of
Pasadena and United Cerebral Palsy.
Mussard said a large portion of the money raised from recycled ink cartridges and small electronics will be donated.
"We recycle the cartridges then sell them," Mussard said. "Then 15 percent of the value will go to the charities."
To explain the benefit of recycling e-waste properly, Mussard said that one ink-jet cartridge takes three quarts of oil to make.
Mussard
said the small electronics, such as cell phones or GPS devices; go to
their partner, All E- waste. These items will then be refurbished,
valued by pound and 100 percent of value goes to the charities.
"We will then pool all the money and divide it equally," she said.
Mussard said the benefit to the environment can be seen with the amount of resources that will be saved.
Throughout
the day, proceeds from hot cocoa sales, product raffles, door prizes
and other activities will all be donated to charities.
The free event will also include a raffle for a printer and iPod.
Mussard said people can still attend if they do not have an item, but a $5 donation is suggested.
Cal Recycle
suggests old electronic products should not be disposed of in the
regular garbage. They suggest nonfunctioning electronics should be given
to organizations that are able to handle them.
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