City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin DPW collects about 32 tons of e-waste collection in EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge
Hundreds of Milwaukee residents dropped off electronics as nearly 32 tons of e-waste was collected during the Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge.
The Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) kept things organized and flowing smoothly as cars lined up to drop off electronics for recycling.
The collection site off-loaded an average of three cars per minute.
The electronics are often called e-waste or e-scrap.
Officials say 706 cars dropped off electronics at the collection site located in a large parking lot south of the Italian Community Center just west of the Summerfest Grounds.
This collection site was within eyeshot of Lake Michigan near the Henry Maier Festival Park better known as the Summerfest Grounds where the world's largest music festival is held.
The one-day collection event, organized by the City of Milwaukee DPW, was held on April 26, 2008
More than two thirds of the collection involved computers and related equipment.
The DPW collected 643 computer monitors weighing over ten tons, that's 21,188 pounds of computer monitors.
Residents dropped off 338 televisions weighing nearly 13, 200 pounds, that's over 5 tons of TVs from city of Milwaukee homes.
Other computer related equipment turned in included nearly 15,100 pounds of personal computers, that's over 7 tons of PCs alone.
Nearly 5 tons of computer printers were turned in, that adds up to 9,148 pounds of printers.
Eight percent of the collection, nearly 5,000 pounds, involved miscellaneous e-waste like cell phones and other electronic items.
The challenge was important because scrap electronics are the fastest growing segment of municipal solid waste stream.
Electronic waste or e-scrap may contain hazardous materials including lead, mercury and heavy metals that can pose a risk to human and environmental health through the release of toxins into the air and water.
During a press conference, EPA, DPW and other Milwaukee officials said the recycling of electronics is needed to avoid unwanted pollution and divert waste from the landfills.
EPA officials called the challenge a great success, adding it's a win-win situation for the public and for the Great Lakes ecosystem..
The challenge was "an easy for everyone to take part in protecting the Great Lakes."
The EPA awarded grants to numerous cities participating in the challenge including the city of Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said the "recycling televisions and computers reduces the risks of toxins contained in these products being released into our air and water."
Event partners included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, city of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW), Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, the Italian Community Center, Midwest Computer Recyclers and WISN-TV.
The contact is Rick Meyers with the City of Milwaukee Dept of Public Works. Call Meyers at 414-286-2334
The Earth Healing Initiative thanks our local interfaith liaison in Milwaukee.
He's Rev. Brad Brown, campus pastor at Marquette University Lutheran Campus Ministry - in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
There was a second successful challenge collection event in the Milwaukee area.
On Saturday April 19, 2008, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) held its third annual Medicine Collection Day.
Named "A prescription for clean water and safe kids," the pharmaceutical collections were held in Milwaukee, Racine, Ozaukee, and Washington counties.
The MMSD distributed nearly 200,000 postcards promoting the event that has been widely publicized by area media.
The Earth Healing Initiative distributed the final 5,000 cards to interfaith contacts in the Milwaukee area.
The Milwaukee event was among about 100 projects involving hundreds of communities across eight states around the Great Lakes basin that participated in the EPA Earth Day 2008 challenge.
The goal of the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge was the collecting and recycling of one million pounds of electronics (e-Waste) plus the collection and proper disposal of one million pills.
The Earth Healing Initiative assisted challenge organizers by offering interfaith liaisons to volunteer and encourage members of local churches and temples to participate in the Earth Day related events in their area.
This video on the projects connected to the Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge was made possible by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the EPA's Region 5 office in Chicago the EPA Great Lakes national Program Office also in Chicago in cooperation with the non-profit Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative in Marquette, MI.
The EHI involves American Indian tribes and "a coalition of churches synagogues and other faith traditions joining together to heal protect and defend the environment" said EHI founder Rev Jon Magnuson of Marquette Michigan.
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