E-recycling event a major success
A major recycling event sponsored by Apple Inc. that resulted in tons of old and unused electronic equipment being properly disposed of last year  returned to campus May 14-16 and resulted in 155 tons of electronic items being dropped off, about 45 tons more than last year..

The public, including University of Memphis employees, was able to drop off e-recyclables near the recreation center. Professional movers were on hand to unload recyclable items from vehicles. May 14-15 was set aside for institutions and businesses to drop off material en mass. This location was also on the Southern Ave. parking lot.

Steve Terry, who coordinated last year's successful event, said it speaks volumes that Apple returned to Tennessee and the U of M two years in a row.

"This is a big deal for the University and for the city," said Terry, U of M director of Technology Utilization. "It gave the University a chance to show that it is committed to ensuring a sustainable future for not only the campus, but for the surrounding area."

The University's commitment to sustainability has grown dramatically since President Shirley Raines signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment two years ago.

"To address environmental challenges, we are becoming a leader in sustainable technologies and practices while acting as a model for the community," Dr. Raines said.

The U of M has formed a Sustainability Committee that is currently defining a strategic plan for campus.

The May 16 public day offered an opportunity to recycle CPUs, all-in-one computer systems, laptop/notebook computers, televisions, cameras, printers, copiers, PDAs, keyboards, computer monitors, speakers, audio devices, FAX machines, cell phones and pagers, and other related equipment.

All items including hard drives will be ground down to confetti-like material to ensure information security prior to being recycled.

The world is experiencing a crisis in electronic waste. Toxic materials such as lead, mercury, chlorine and bromine are commonly used in producing computers and other electronics, and if these devices are dumped into solid waste systems after they have outlived their usefulness, the toxins can seep from landfills into groundwater.

About 50 to 90 percent of e-waste collected in the United States is often sent to developing countries for recycling. Once there, local laborers, who are paid only a few dollars a day to extract the precious metals from these materials, compromise their personal health and pollute their local environments by the release of toxins, a by-product of their extraction process which involves the burning of this e-waste material.

Contact Steve Terry at 678-2194 for additional information on the electronic equipment recycling effort or visit the U of M e-recycling website.


Tiger Initiative for Gardening in Urban Settings (TIGUrS)

A gardening initiative across campus that will result in vegetables and fruits being grown at various sites is underway. Take a look at the site between the Fieldhouse and Zach Curlin. The site will be an educational venue to teach students including Campus School students the value of sustainable practices. Contact Karyl Buddington at 678-2359 for more information or to volunteer.