Dec. 17, 2008
Wisconsin’s number one sustainability
campus moving to lessen electronic waste
As with many sustainability initiatives at the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP), a student is taking the lead
on investigating how UWSP students can better mitigate the
disposal of electronic waste including cell phones, TVs, DVD
and VHS players, computers, and microwaves.
Amanda Dent of Mayville , a senior majoring in waste management
with a minor in soil science, received a $6,000 UW System Student
Research Grant to assess the amount of E-waste (electronics) being
dumped in regional landfills by students, faculty and staff
at UWSP.
Phase one of the three-phase project was the collection of
on-campus E-waste. Approximately 16,000 pounds of electronic
waste was collected and shipped to 5R Processors of Ladysmith
for processing and recycling. 5R Processors specializes in recycling
computers and other electronic goods.
“Computers and computer monitors were by far the most prevalent
E-waste collected on campus,” said Dent.
Phase Two will take place in May 2009. According to Dent, once students
have completed the spring semester and have vacated their residence
halls, a second collection will be held at the 13 residence halls and
the greater campus. The final phase will be a report of findings to be
completed by midsummer with a proposed management plan to continue this
effort into the future. Her findings will be shared with her adviser,
Aga Razvi, professor of soil science and waste resources, as well as
with the entire campus and its leadership.
According to UWSP’s Facilities Services, student E-waste makes up
approximately 26 percent of the city of Stevens Point’s
E-waste.
“Our goal is to get this E-waste to recyclers, like the plant in
Ladysmith, rather than in our overburdened and overfilled landfills,”
said Dent. “We want UWSP to be a role model for all UW System campuses
who have to face a growing E-waste problem. Part of my goal is to
educate campus students and personnel on how to properly dispose of
electronic components.”
E-waste can contain such impurities as lead, mercury, lithium, bromine,
cadmium, and other heavy metals. According to the International Association
of Electronic Recyclers, more than 3 billion computers, televisions, cell
phones, and other consumer electronics will be in America’s landfills by
the end of 2010. By 2005 it is estimated that approximately 130 million
cell phones were discarded into landfills, according to Cascade Asset
Management, LLC. UW-Extension reported that Wisconsin residents dumped
a minimum of one million computers into our state’s landfills from 2002
to 2005.
Dent is a member of UWSP’s Waste Management Society. She is a 2005 graduate
of Mayville High School and plans to graduate in December 2009.
Contact: Amanda Dent,
adent251@uwsp.edu
