 Welcome to CTN member highlights. I'm Leslie McVane and my guest today is Diane Ballin Who is the coordinator for an event that's happening at USM on April 23rd? Diane welcome and tell us about this. Thank you. Um, this is the Community electronic waste event. It's actually a collection open to residents of Portland and neighboring communities and It's held at USM at the Woodbury campus on April 23rd It's an amazing event. We had Last year and this is actually our fourth annual Every single year we've had over 500 cars stopped by with their electronics literally unloading from the trunk Computers TVs flat panels Yeah, all VCR. I looked at the list and it was amazing and I got so excited. I put it right on my calendar great Well, we all have those little Things electronic things that we don't use anymore exactly used for years But they're sitting on a shelf Somewhere in the garage or the basement or right in the house right and just you know You don't even see them anymore, right, but you know you want to get rid of them Tell us, you know, what what it generates? What what how much did you collect last year? Um, actually I did I have a list of what we had collected last year We did unload 556 cars and Had 51,000 pounds of electronic waste 3,500 pounds of appliances and Also for the event at at each of the events. We collect a monetary donation For Preble Street. So last year we collected over $1,800 for Preble Street, which is so wonderful and this event is free It usually costs to Dispose of these type of items. So in exchange for the you know People being able to Get rid of this stuff. So to speak We do ask that they bring a couple dollars for Preble Street. Well, that's it's well worth it Now you're the one who really instigated this here about four years ago Yes, tell us how that came about because you don't think of going to the university to dispose of things Yes, so what well actually I was at UMA working at UMA for 17 years Toward the end of that time. There was an electronic waste Collection event it was happening at Christmas time and I remember, you know loading up my car with all of my obsolete electronics United Way was taking donations and It was fabulous. There were cars that were lined up and after what I Called United Way and asked them You know who organized this and how could we get another one in the spring? So I did organize another one at UMA in the spring At that time the United Way I think that was their first and they had said they only brought a little like Maxwell House can Yes, yes, so so when I came to USM I talked with the sustainability folks Who are absolutely great? USM is amazing with recycling at the university and Proposed the idea told them what I did at UMA and that's how it all got started Well, and I and I was saying well, you don't think of going to the university But what a wonderful place to not only do something like this But in a in a very soft way of educating people about what how important it is to Recycle and how it is helpful for so many people not just people getting rid of stuff But but reusing some of this stuff exactly throwing it away And the university is a perfect place to be educating people. Yeah. Yeah, we actually have a great System where you know the car is really We have volunteers who kind of like you know Unload the cars 90 miles an hour. There's tables there and and the traffic goes pretty smooth I was wondering when you said over 500 cars am I how do they do that and the volunteers? Where do they come from the university or yeah, well over the years we've added a few sponsors time-worn a cable is Has been a sponsor last year and this year and so they provide volunteers as well as the university During the first year, which is very cool The social work department at the university. I Went to the professor and said, you know would anybody be interested in Volunteering for this event and so they were given extra credit as a community event to do this Well, we've got to wrap it up pretty soon But I just wanted to sort of go down the list of things so that our viewing audience will know TVs computers monitors keyboards printers stereo equipment Courts chargers wires vcrs DVDs cell phones cameras refrigerators air-conditioners microwaves Anything electric. I mean that's amazing. It is amazing. Well if for more information Yes, you could call usm Steve Sweeney is the contact at facilities Sustainability and his number is seven eight zero four six five eight and it is from nine a.m To one p.m. On April 23rd in the Woodbury Campus parking lot, so be there with all your stuff And a little money for the and who is the money going to this year probably trouble straight again terrific Well, thank you so much. Oh, you're welcome. Thank you. I appreciate it