Texas State University hosts fourth annual electronics recycling event

Texas State provides the space for the event and is required to solicit donations and provide volunteers, but PSC does the rest of the work, she said.

"They made it a totally free event. The trucks came and the boxes came, and the waste was taken away," she said. "Each year, we've gotten money back, which is really cool. It's not money that is being made off of the electronics, it's just money that's the balance of what's been donated."

Arceneaux said that because so many of the services associated with the event are donated, corporate and other monetary donations are not completely spent.

"We've been able to take half of that money and donate it to World Bicycle Relief, which goes to help people in Africa buy bicycles so they can get to and from school and work," she said. "Half the money goes there, and half the money goes back to Texas State, and we use it for sustainability projects here on campus. There's no losing on this."

Arceneaux said the university received about $1,200 after the 2011 event; 197 cars came through last year, resulting in 26,500 pounds of electronics being collected for recycling.

She said she received a note from World Bicycle Relief that said the money from 2011 was enough to purchase bikes for an entire school.

"They're saying [that] especially girls would have to walk 10 miles to get to school, and they just wouldn't go," Arceneaux said.

Arceneaux said participants may recycle "just about any type of electronics that would have a circuit board in it.

"The main thing is just to let folks know that they can get rid of all their old electronics, like TVs, computers and things, not to throw them in the trash because that's harmful to the environment," she said.

A Fort Worth company is providing the recycling and transportation of the electronics. Items that will not be accepted are appliances, microwaves and household hazardous waste.

To protect identity and security, electronic devices may be cleaned of personal information by using tools at https://security.vpit.txstate.edu/awareness/ecycling_idtheft.html.

Arceneaux said volunteers are still needed to be greeters and survey-takers. Shifts are available from 8–11 a.m., 11 a.m.–2 p.m. or for the entire day. A T-shirt and lunch are provided.

"The time flies really fast, and you get to see everyone working together," she said.

To sign up, volunteers may contact the student volunteer coordinator, Colleen Cook, at [email protected].