Milwaukee protects Lake Michigan by turning in 36 tons of electronics, medicines in EPA Challenge

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Milwaukee protects Lake Michigan by turning in 36 tons of electronics, medicines in EPA Challenge

Greg Peterson

Milwaukee area residents turned in 32 tons of electronic waste and 3.5 tons of pharmaceuticals during two events in EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge. About 3.5 tons of pharmaceuticals were turned by the public during Medicine Collection Day on Saturday, April 19, 2008 organized by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD). The Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) organized an electronics collection on Saturday, April 26, 2008 that garner about 32 tons of electronics. The site off-loaded an average of three cars per minute. The electronics are called e-waste. About 700 cars dropped off electronics during the event organized by the City of Milwaukee DPW was held on April 26, 2008 More than two thirds of the collection involved computers and related equipment. The DPW collected 643 computer monitors weighing over ten tons; 338 televisions weighing over 5 tons, over 7 tons of personal computers and nearly 5 tons of computer printers. Eight percent of the collection, nearly 5,000 pounds, involved miscellaneous e-waste like cell phones. ------- Equipment type Pounds Percent by Weight Monitors 21,188 33% (643 computer monitors recycled) PCs 15,098 24% TVs 13,185 21% (338 televisions recycled) Printers 9,148 14% Miscellaneous 4,878 8% TOTAL 63,497 100% ------- The challenge was important because scrap electronics are the fastest growing segment of municipal solid waste stream. E-waste may contain hazardous materials including lead, mercury and heavy metals that can pose a risk to human and environmental health. The EPA awarded $500,000 in grants to numerous cities participating in the challenge including the city of Milwaukee. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said the "recycling televisions and computers reduces the risks of toxins contained in these products being released into our air and water." Event partners included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, city of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW), Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, the Italian Community Center, Midwest Computer Recyclers and WISN-TV. About 3.5 tons of pharmaceuticals were turned during the Milwaukee area's Medicine Collection Day sponsored by the MMSD. The collection name was a "prescription for clean water and safe kids." ------- Non-Controlled Controlled Participants Substances Substances Milwaukee County 1,080 4,487 lbs 36,831 (Pills, Patches & Bottles) Ozaukee County 365 1,022 lbs 3 (30 gallon drums) Racine County 523 761 lbs 50 lbs Washington County 380 743 lbs 83 lbs Totals: 2,348 7,013 lbs ------- Veolia Environmental Services incinerates non-controlled substances at a federally licensed facility. Medicine collection partners: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Milwaukee Police, Milwaukee Brewers, City of Milwaukee, Aurora Pharmacy, Columbia St. Mary's, City of Racine, Racine Police Department, Burlington Police Department, Western Racine County Health Department, Caledonia/Mt. Pleasant Health Department, Ozaukee County Public Health Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff's Department, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Village of Saukville, Washington County, Washington County Sheriff's Department, and City of West Bend Sewer Utility. For more information call MMSD Public Information Manager Bill Graffin at 1-414-225-2077 The MMSD distributed nearly 200,000 postcards promoting the event that has been widely publicized by area media. The Earth Healing Initiative (EHI) distributed the final 5,000 cards to interfaith contacts in the Milwaukee area. The EHI local interfaith liaison is Rev. Brad Brown, campus pastor at Marquette University Lutheran Campus Ministry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee events were among about 100 projects involving hundreds of communities across eight states around the Great Lakes basin that participated in the EPA Earth Day 2008 challenge. The goal was the collecting and recycling of one million pounds of electronics plus the collection and proper disposal of one million pills. The EHI assisted challenge organizers by offering interfaith liaisons to volunteer and encourage members of local churches and temples to participate in the Earth Day related events in their area. This video was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 office and the EPA Great Lakes national Program Office in Chicago to the EHI in Marquette MI. The EHI involves American Indian tribes and "a coalition of churches synagogues and other faith traditions joining together to heal protect and defend the environment" said founder Rev Jon Magnuson of Marquette. -- Supers: Bharat Mathur EPA deputy regional administrator EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago Tom Barrett Milwaukee Mayor Rick Meyers Director/City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) Milwaukee Medicine Collection Photos by Susan Boehme --- Sponsor/Contact: Milwaukee Metro Sewerage District 260 West Seeboth St. Milwaukee, WI 53204 Steve Jacquart, Milwaukee Metro Sewerage District 414-225-2138 (wk) --- Milwaukee Metro Sewerage District: http://www.mmsd.com --- Milorganite - How do we make this stuff? http://www.mmsd.com/news/detail.cfm?id=114 --- Milwaukee pdf flyer - scroll down pdf to bottom to see mini-version: http://www.mmsd.com/images/programs/MedicineCollection_041908.pdf --- For more information on the collection contact: City of Milwaukee Dept of Public Works Rick Meyers 414-286-2334 --- Milwaukee Dept. Of Public Works: http://www.mpw.net Milwaukee DPW e-Waste event page: http://www.mpw.net/Pages/escrap.html City of Milwaukee e-Waste event flyer: http://www.mpw.net/docs/escrap_flyer.pdf City of Milwaukee e-Waste advertisement http://www.mpw.net/docs/escrap_ad.pdf --- Related information/websites: --- Final EPA Flow of the River blog post: http://flowoftheriver.epa.gov/greatlakeschallenge/2008/05/so-long-and-tha.html --- Media News Wire: http://media-newswire.com/release_1064289.html --- Freedom Ring Blog - Milwaukee: http://freedomeden.blogspot.com/2008/04/milwaukees-great-lakes-2008-earth-day.html --- EPA #1 results press release: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/fa96ab2aafc467688525743a003c9efa?OpenDocument --- EPA says challenge a big success: Goals met and exceeded http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/epas-great-lakes-earth-day,367679.shtml --- WISN TV Milwaukee: http://www.wisn.com/aboutwisn12/15961138/detail.html --- EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois http://www.epa.gov/region5 --- EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois Bharat Mathur, EPA Deputy Regional Administrator 312-886-3000 mathur.bharat@epa.gov http://www.epa.gov/region5/aboutr5/organization.htm ------- WISN News Channel 12 in Milwaukee is one of the sponsors: http://www.wisn.com http://www.wisn.com/news/15902308/detail.html WISN produced a 15 second PSA about the event ------- Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful Joe Wilson, executive director 414-272-5462, ext. 103 website: http://www.kgmb.org/ KGMB is coordinating volunteers for event on Sat., April 26, 2008 KGMB has numerous events scheduled in near future and would like volunteers. http://www.kgmb.org/volunteer.html Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, Inc. (KGMB) is an award winning, private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Established in 1983, it has been affiliated with Keep America Beautiful, Inc. since 1985. KGMB has a strong history of responsiveness, renewal and innovation. KGMB uses a unique combination of community improvement programs like Great American Cleanup and education to accomplish its goals. KGMB Goals KGMB works in partnership with its communities to address: neighborhood cleanup and beautification waste reduction, reuse, and recycling environmental education for children environmental forums renewable and efficient energy use resource conservation --- KGMB Conact info: http://www.kgmb.org/contact.html KGMB facility features an in-house waste reduction education center. Educational tours can be arranged by phone: 414-272-5462 email: education@kgmb.org KGMB links: http://www.greeningmilwaukee.org http://www.everydrop.org ------- Milwaukee Earth Healing Initiative page: http://www.earthhealinginitiative.org/milwaukee.html --- Earth Healing Initiative Milwaukee interfaith liaison: Rev. Brad Brown, campus pastor Marquette University Lutheran Campus Ministry Milwaukee, Wisconsin 414-288-3691 email: bradley.brown@mu.edu Pastor Brown's blog: http://www.mulutherans.com/index.php Marquette University Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) website: http://www.mulutherans.com --- Marquette University Ministry AMU 236 1442 W. Wisconsin Ave. P.O. Box 1881 Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881 922 South 29th Street Milwaukee, WI 53215 --- website: http://www.marquette.edu/um http://www.marquette.edu/um/staff/ http://www.marquette.edu/um/worship/documents/1018107web.pdf Phone: 414-288-6873 Fax: 414-288-3696 --- Interfaith graphics by Justice St. Rain (Baha'i Community) of Interfaith Resources - Special Ideas website: http://www.interfaithresources.com Justice St. Rain 1-800-326-1197 (toll free) 1-847-733-3559 (wk) Interfaith Resources P.O. Box 9 511 Diamond Rd Heltonville, IN 47436 --- Project sites included locations in eight states: Illinois: Alton, Beecher, Bellwood, Bolingbrook, Carol Stream, Channahon, Chicago, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Glenview, Joliet, Lockport, Lombard, Mount Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Romeoville, Shorewood, Villa Park, West Chicago, Wheaton, Woodstock Indiana: Columbia City, Hammond, Knox, LaPorte, Fort Wayne, Rushville, Valparaiso Michigan: Bay City (two events), Benton Harbor, Bloomfield Hills, Dearborn Heights, East Lansing, Farmington Hills, Goodells, Grand Rapids (two events) Harbor Springs, Lansing, Midland, Monroe, Royal Oaks, Sault Ste. Marie, Southfield, Traverse City Minnesota: Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Duluth, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Madison, Maple Grove, New Ulm, Saint Cloud, Shakopee, St. Louis Park, St. Paul New York: Brockport, Buffalo, Fredonia, Rochester (two events), Syracuse (two events). Ohio: Cleveland, Grove City, Kent, Perrysburg, Sandusky, Springfield, Toledo, Warren Pennsylvania: Erie, Lancaster Wisconsin: Appleton, Brillion, Chilton, Crandon, Green Bay, Keshena (Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and College of Menominee Nation), Manitowoc, Milwaukee, New Holstein, Oshkosh, Plover (two events), Racine, Superior, Waupaca. --- A special thanks to the residents of Milwaukee who proved they love their city, Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes. Also, we appreciate the support of the city of Milwaukee DPW event partners without whom the collection would not have been possible: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, city of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW), Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, the Italian Community Center, Midwest Computer Recyclers and WISN TV.