BHSU to host e-waste collection day

Liam Porter, biology major from Spearfish and member of the Environmental Sustainability Student Organization at Black Hills State University, removes a printer from the trash during a campus trash audit. Electronic devices such as printers are considered e-waste and must be taken to a no-landfill recycler such as Black Hills Echo Works, or taken to Facility Services at BHSU.

As our Black Hills State University Yellow Jackets gear up to take on the Western State Colorado University Mountaineers in football on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Lyle Hare Stadium, the BHSU Sustainability Office gears up to take on e-waste.

For Sustainability month, BHSU will be collecting items such as printers, cell phones, digital cameras, old laptops, and television sets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the north end of the stadium by the Young Center free of charge. While e-waste only accounts for about two percent of landfill waste in the United States, it represents 70 percent of overall toxic waste.

"BHSU wants to help to make sure that e-waste is responsibly recycled instead of thrown into the landfill. That is why we are sponsoring this event on Saturday," said Katie Greer, assistant director of Facility Services.

Black Hills Echo Works will be working with BHSU to collect these items. Echo Works specializes in recycling electronic devices that have toxic substances such as lead and mercury.

"We are going to be there to recycle with a purpose," said Randy Sheppard of Echo Works.

By hosting this event, BHSU hopes to raise awareness about proper recycling practices for these devices and to direct some of the toxic substances found in electronics out of our waste stream. For more information on this event, contact Katie Greer, assistant director of Facility Services at BHSU, at 605-642-6560 or Katherine.Greer@BHSU.edu. For a more comprehensive list of accepted items, visit blackhillsworks.org.