IU, City of Bloomington collect used electronics for recycling

As the school year comes to a close, IU and the City of Bloomington are helping people recycle used electronics. The fourth annual Electronic Waste Collection Days will be May 11 and 12 at the Purple Parking Lot north of Memorial Stadium.

Computers and computer equipment such as monitors, printers, headsets and USB drives are eligible for recycling during the two-day event. Cell phones and other handheld devices, audio, video and office equipment can be recycled as well.

Chris England, IT manager for the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and University Information and Technology Services employee, said SPEA uses the annual event to get rid of outdated equipment in a sustainable way.

When SPEA is done using an electronic device, the school sends it to another school or department, or to IU Surplus, England said.

He also said he encourages faculty, students and Bloomington residents to take advantage of the Electronic Waste Collection Days for both its economic and environmental benefits.

“If we do send (a computer) to Surplus and they’re able to use that, we do get some amount of money back for the department,” he said. “More importantly, that equipment is being used, and that’s the environmental piece that is really close to the school.”

England said any electronic equipment that is too outdated or broken to reuse should be recycled, which is where the Electronic Waste Collection Days’ environmental influence is evident.

“Our hope is that that is better for the environment than throwing it in a landfill,” he said.

England said because Bloomington is a college town, events like the Electronic Waste Collection Days are successful.

“There’s so much technology at the school,” he said. “There’s so many people here using technology every day. Almost everybody on campus has at least one device.”

England said since the lifetimes of computers and electronics are limited, there is a need to recycle almost all of them eventually, and events like this allow faculty and community members to do that.

“There’s a need to make sure those are discarded appropriately or reused,” he said. “I think it’s just a perpetual replacing of computers.”

While models of computers and tablets are passed down when newer ones are released, England said eventually this drops off as the electronics become too obsolete or old to be used effectively. The Electronic Waste Collection Days provide a funnel for that.

England said the event proves beneficial for SPEA and other schools at the University.
“For us, it’s a win-win situation,” he said. “Someone else can use (the old equipment), and it’s out of our hands. We can get rid of it, make some room and move on to the new technology.”