The Holland BPW is hosting an electronics waste recycling collection on Saturday, May 21, at the Holland BPW building at 625 Hastings Avenue, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. There will be rebates for large working appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. Small electronics will be accepted as well. Hope Church will provide volunteers for the events and will receive a $.04/pound stipend for all the pounds of electronics received.
In 2008, the Caring for Creation ministry teamed up with Comprenew and West Michigan Creation Care to host the first of these electronics recycling events. It took place in the parking lot of Hope Church. Peter Boogaart, the ministry chair at the time, didn’t know what sort of turn out to expect. If you were around, you know that turn out was huge! So huge that they couldn’t haul everything away that day and had to put a pile of TVs in the Gathering Area on a Sunday.
The annual event quickly outgrew our parking lot and gained new partners like the BPW, Consumer’s Energy, and other churches like Grace Church. The event moved to the parking lot of the BPW building and help had to be hired to move all the large appliances people brought in.
Unfortunately, not all the changes were positive. In 2014, a state law requiring manufacturers to subsidize the take back of cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs and monitors was phased out. This forced recyclers like Comprenew to charge people for recycling CRTs. In recent months, prices in the commodity market have dropped to point that many items now require a fee for recycling.
Because of this, the 2016 recycling event was almost not able to accept small electronics. Fortunately, Herman Miller generously offered to cover the costs of recycling so that small electronics could still be received.
You can help with this event in several ways. First, volunteers are needed to help unload electronics at the event – sign up in the gathering area! Second, come and recycle your old electronics. Lastly, I encourage you to contact your elected state representatives and tell them to increase support for electronics recycling.
Other Upcoming Caring for Creation Opportunities
- May 14 at 709 Pine Avenue at 10 a.m. ($10) – Bio-Intensive Gardening Workshop by 8th Day Farm
- May 15-21 – Green Commute Week organized by the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council with the support of many local businesses and organizations: walk, bike, carpool, or ride transit to work, church, and errands
- May 21-28 – Native Plant Sale hosted by Degraaf Nature Center
- June 4 at 709 Pine Avenue at 10 a.m. ($10) – Holland Backyard Chicken Tour by 8th Day Farm
- July 9 at Windmill Island Gardens from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. – 2016 Macatawa Water Festival hosted by the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council and Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway
- July 16 at 709 Pine Avenue at 10 a.m. ($10) – Bee-keeping Basics Workshop by 8th Day Farm
- August 20 at 709 Pine Avenue at 10 a.m. ($10) – Communal Canning 101 Workshop by 8th Day Farm
- September 17 at 709 Pine Avenue at 10 a.m. ($10) – An introduction to Aquaponics by 8th Day Farm
- September 24 at Window on the Waterfront from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. – 10th Anniversary Fall Macatawa River Cleanup hosted by the Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway
~Joe Arevalo, Caring for Creation Coordinator