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Tons of fun: e-waste collections, education highlight Earth Day 2009 celebration
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Visitors to the Earth Day 2009 celebration—hosted in late April by TFC at the Travis Building—gained some relevant knowledge, shared some laughs and picked up a myriad of ideas on how to maximize day-to-day waste efficiency.
“Our speakers were wonderful, and could have talked for hours on their subjects,” said TFC Recycling Coordinator Thomas Shook. “Clearly they have a great understanding of how to minimize the footprints that we all leave, and they obviously don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk. They were engaging and passionate about their topics, and the crowds clearly responded to them.”
Jessica Kingpetcharat-Bittner, Sustainability Administrator for the City of Austin Solid Waste Services Department, discussed in great detail the city’s Zero Waste Strategic Plan. Lauren Young, Pollution Prevention and Education Specialist for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), shared her ideas and experience as her agency’s Recycling Outreach Coordinator. Both held Q&A sessions.
In addition to the booths and breakout sessions at the Travis Building, an e-waste collection drive was held and produced more than eight tons of collected computers, phones, monitors and the like. The amount doubled last year’s e-waste volume.
“I was amazed last year at how popular the e-waste collection drive was, and I’m even more amazed this year,” Shook said. “Each year, it’s clear that more and more people are becoming more aware of the items that can be re-cycled and re-used, and recycling is clearly more important to people now than ever before.”
Linda Baker and the McKinney field office of the Texas Department of Assistive & Rehabilitative Services (DARS) won the innovation award for her various recycling ideas that she has implemented at her workplace. Ellen Willmore (Texas Vaccines for Children) was second and Pam Harmatiuk (Health and Human Services Commission) finished third. Music was provided by the Austin Wonderbrass (the official Earth Day band).
“Our speakers were wonderful, and could have talked for hours on their subjects,” said TFC Recycling Coordinator Thomas Shook. “Clearly they have a great understanding of how to minimize the footprints that we all leave, and they obviously don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk. They were engaging and passionate about their topics, and the crowds clearly responded to them.”
Jessica Kingpetcharat-Bittner, Sustainability Administrator for the City of Austin Solid Waste Services Department, discussed in great detail the city’s Zero Waste Strategic Plan. Lauren Young, Pollution Prevention and Education Specialist for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), shared her ideas and experience as her agency’s Recycling Outreach Coordinator. Both held Q&A sessions.
In addition to the booths and breakout sessions at the Travis Building, an e-waste collection drive was held and produced more than eight tons of collected computers, phones, monitors and the like. The amount doubled last year’s e-waste volume.
“I was amazed last year at how popular the e-waste collection drive was, and I’m even more amazed this year,” Shook said. “Each year, it’s clear that more and more people are becoming more aware of the items that can be re-cycled and re-used, and recycling is clearly more important to people now than ever before.”
Linda Baker and the McKinney field office of the Texas Department of Assistive & Rehabilitative Services (DARS) won the innovation award for her various recycling ideas that she has implemented at her workplace. Ellen Willmore (Texas Vaccines for Children) was second and Pam Harmatiuk (Health and Human Services Commission) finished third. Music was provided by the Austin Wonderbrass (the official Earth Day band).
