Student Group Protects The Environment While Raising Money

It’s a time-honored tradition with a twist. Along with usual fundraising activities at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton, there is a new way to make money that benefits the environment as well. The UACCM chapter of Phi Theta Kappa is tackling the growing problem of electronic waste and turning it into cash. PTK is participating in the “Think Recycle” program, which gathers old print cartridges and cell phones in the community and exchanges them for money.

Drop off located in the University
Center Lobby.

Greentec, the company behind “Think Recycle,” then collects, processes and recycles the cartridges and cell phones, diverting the electronic waste from local landfill sites. “Our usual fundraising activities are great, but the Think Recycle program directly protects the environment, “says PTK sponsor and UACCM English Instructor Lyndsey Daniel. This way we can stop filling up our landfills with electronic waste and fundraise at the same time.” 

Over 300 million empty printer cartridges are generated in North America every year, or 900,000,000 pounds of waste that can potentially end up in a landfill. The “Think Recycle” program has been responsible for the diversion of more than one million cartridges from landfills and has provided nearly $3 million in funding to its participants. More than 20,000 schools in North America participate in the Think Recycle program, says Tony Perrotta, President of Greentec. In addition to giving money for these used printer cartridges and cell phones, Greentec also donates one tree to either the Tree Canada, or American Forests for every 24 qualifying cell phones or cartridges that the UACCM chapter of PTK returns. The “Think Recycle” program has paid for the planting of more than 50,000 trees, effectively removing 8,700 tons of carbon from the atmosphere.

“With Think Recycle, not only are you helping PTK raise money, but you get to directly protect the environment and do a good thing,” says Daniel. The public can drop off old cell phones or printer cartridges in UACCM’s University Center, Business Technology Center, and Kirk Building. For more information, contact Lyndsey Daniel at (501) 977-2170 or at daniel@uaccm.edu.