Electronics Recycling and More at Earth Day 2018

After a two-year hiatus, the home electronics collection returns to the campus Earth Day celebration this year, just one of the exiting elements that will promote “reuse” of materials.

So, save the date: the 2018 UMass Chan Medical School Earth Day campus celebration will be Wednesday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the school lobbies.

“Our last home electronics collection was in 2015 so we felt it was time to do it again,” said Suzanne Wood, sustainability and energy manager at UMass Chan. “After a few years, people may have appliances, computers and other unused electronic items gathering dust in the basement or garage, so this is their opportunity to bring them to campus for reuse and recycling.” 

In addition to the home electronics collection, which will take place in the Pine Tree parking lot, the Earth Day celebration will once again have a mix of regional companies and organizations focused on sustainable products and practices. Displays will include products from local farmers, food and craft vendors, electric assist bicycles for test rides and energy efficiency products and services.  For a full list of this year’s participating groups see: https://www.umassmed.edu/growinggreen/earthday/

New this year will be a Reuse Trivia Quiz.  Earth Day visitors can pick up the quiz card at the UMass Chan Growing Green table. The quiz has five questions, the answers to which can be found by visiting five other displays at the event. The first 250 people who collect the “answer” stickers from those five displays will win a UMass Chan Growing Green reusable tumbler suitable for hot or cold beverages.

“We like to change things up a little bit each year, so we hope people will have fun learning some facts about reuse programs here on campus and in our region,” Wood said.

Northeast Material Handling, the school’s vendor for reuse and recycling of electronics and large bulk items, will operate the home electronics collection in the Pine Tree lot. Almost any household item that plugs into a wall outlet, from computers, radios, VCRs, stereo components, toaster ovens, microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners or window air conditioners will be accepted for free. There will be a $30 charge for television sets of any kind. Computer monitors, both flat screen and CRT will cost $15 each.