For anyone who attended Toronto’s recent Green Living Show a few weeks back, you may have noticed that attendees could have their admission fee waived if they brought in old consumer electronic items and offered them for proper e-recycling. The initiative was sponsored by Samsung Electronics as well as a secondary initiative which was designed to challenge schools across the GTA to collect as much e-waste for recycling as possible. As an incentive, Samsung Canada put up a $10,000 technology grant to be given to the participating school which collected and submitted the most e-waste by the contest deadline.
The contest recently came to a close and I received a follow up Press Release from Samsung and it’s agents regarding the contest. Given that I supported the initiative and am impressed with the results, I thought I’d share the bulk of the Press Release directly and share it directly as part of my ongoing initiative to provide relevant enviro news and events coverage:
Mississauga School Awarded With A $10,000 Technology Grant From Samsung Hope for Children
Students show passion for e-waste recycling, collecting over 7,000 pounds
MISSISSAUGA, ON – June 7 – In celebration of Canadian Environment Week, Mississauga’s Froebel Education Centre was announced as the winning school in the Green Living Show’s Passion for E-recycling School Challenge. Enthusiastic students were presented today with the prize of a $10,000 technology grant, courtesy of Samsung Hope for Children, a global corporate social responsibility program centered on the three pillars of health, education and sustainability. With a mere 27 students at the Froebel Education Centre in total, the school brought in over 7,000 pounds of electronic waste in the challenge. Each child at the school collected an average of over 260 pounds of e-waste in just 10 days, more than any of the other 27 participating GTA schools.
The Passion for E-recycling School Challenge was created by the Green Living Show in partnership with Samsung to educate GTA elementary school students about e-waste and its environmental impact. Electronic waste (e-waste) is defined as all types of unwanted electronics and electronic equipment and can present special challenges when it comes to end-of-life disposal.
In total approximately 146,500 pounds of e-waste – almost equal to the weight of 73 adult elephants – was collected through Green Living Show’s efforts this spring. In partnership with Samsung Electronics Canada and Global Electric Electronic Processing (GEEP), collection depots at Sears retail locations and onsite at the Green Living Show brought in over 65,000 pounds of e-waste in addition to the Passion for E-recycling School Challenge.
“The achievements of the students at the Froebel Education Centre prove we can all make a difference, no matter how large – or small – a group. They have truly demonstrated their passion for recycling electronic waste,” said Andrew Barrett, Vice President of Marketing at Samsung Electronics Canada. “And on behalf of Samsung Hope for Children, we are thrilled to present them with a well-deserved technology grant that we hope will help fuel their education in new ways.”
“The students took such initiative to run the e-waste collection, and it was very much a Froebel family effort,” said Dr. Barbara Corbett, Founder and Director of Education at the Froebel Education Centre. “Our thanks go out to Samsung Canada; not only did our students learn about electronic waste and its impact on the environment through this hands-on program, but the grant for $10,000 in new technology will change our learning environment in an unimaginable way.”
“Just looking at the total amount of e-waste collected throughout the GTA challenges, it is easy to see that this was a huge success,” said Laurie Simmonds, President, Green Living Enterprises, owner of the Green Living Show. “From the students of the Froebel Education Centre, to GTA residents who came out to participate at collection centres across the city, everyone has pitched in for a positive impact on the environment.”
GTA students were also invited to take part in an e-waste poster challenge, with the theme “Passion for E-recycling. Passion for the Earth.” The winning classrooms, all from Sir Richard W. Scott Catholic Elementary School in Markham, were selected by a panel of judges. Each of three winning classrooms will receive their choice of a Samsung Galaxy Tab™ or Series 9 laptop™, donated by Samsung Hope for Children.
As a way to further educate students about electronic waste and incite passion about recycling, Green Living Show also created a learning module for educators. Fun and educational activities designed to teach grades 3-5 level students about e-waste can be found online at www.passionforerecycling.ca.
Leave a Reply