In line with this year’s Justice Summit theme of Sustainability, Bellarmine hosted an e-waste and sustainability fair last Saturday, January 22nd. Coordinating with organizations like Savers and Breathe California, Bellarmine served as a location where people could dispose of old electronics such as laptops, televisions, phones, printers in a safe and responsible manner. Electronics consist of many chemicals and metals that if not recycled properly, pose severe environmental danger.
That is not to say the disposed electronics were junk. In fact, a substantial amount of the appliances were still functioning. As people strolled through the environmental fair, people picked up electronics ranging from fully working laptops to Wii remotes.However, the fair was not just focused on the proper disposal of electronic waste. “The hook is the e-waste recycling. Then we want people to come in and educate themselves on steps they can take to improve the environment,” Mr. Cussen said. Representatives from several environmental groups stationed themselves in the Hall of Honor near the Auxiliary gym.
Scott Baker ’17, who helped organize the sustainability fair, said, “We had some vendors here and invited people to campus to educate people on how to make the world a more sustainable place.” Groups ranged from non-profits focused on reducing the number of smokers to political advocacy groups dedicates towards bringing together liberals and conservatives for a mutually agreed environmental agenda.