Jim Zaffiro (right), professor of political science and co-director of SUSTAIN, accepted the grant on Central's behalf.
Central College has been awarded an Environmental Enrichment Grant by several local businesses that have partnered together since 2005 to sponsor an annual Earth Day eCycling Event. The grant is intended to support activities that promote recycling and environmental stewardship. Pella High School and Pella Christian High School also received a grant.
The eCycling event takes place every year in Marion and Mahaska Counties. Community members are invited to bring old electronics—such as computers, televisions, printers and cell phones—to be recycled in an environmentally safe and secure manner. Total, more than 300,000 pounds of electronics have been diverted from the local landfill. Community volunteers, including the Central football and wrestling teams, have helped transport recyclables at past events.
Event sponsors include Pella Corporation, Vermeer Corporation, Musco Lighting, PPI, Van Gorp, KAL Services, Rosenman’s Inc. and several other environmentally conscious companies in the area. The sponsors cover the costs of de-manufacturing (recycling) all the collected electronics, and donations are put toward the environmental grants, this year totaling $700 each.
“The grants are a great opportunity to continue to drive responsible environmental stewardship to youth institutions in our community,” said Fred Earley, environmental engineering manager at Vermeer Corporation. “The environmentally conscious companies that sponsor the event desire to raise awareness and educate the community about how to be responsible environmental stewards.”
This year’s community eCycling event will take place on April 21. Mike Lubberden, director of facilities planning management at Central, will help facilitate a collection process allowing businesses and government organizations to recycle their electronics, which hasn’t been possible at past events. Earley said this could potentially double the amount collected this year.
