University of South Carolina Greek organizations are partnering with MSP Disposal, a global electronic waste recycling provider, and the Twelve, a sustainability organization, to host the E-Waste Awareness Challenge on Friday, April 21st. Their goal is to increase awareness and find sustainable alternatives to the global e-waste crisis. The organizations are asking everyone to donate their discarded electronics. There will be a donation bin in every Greek life house from April 1st to April 21st where anyone can bring in donations. At 1:00 p.m. on April 21st, winners of the most donated items will be announced. The winning organization will receive one-thousand dollars towards their philanthropy of choice, and any Greek life member who donates can receive service hours for their donation. “The Twelve and MSP Disposal’s goal is to make Columbia, South Carolina one of the most sustainable cities around the US,” says founder Brooks Boland. Many e-waste artifacts are sent to Columbia from all around the world. MSP Disposal safely repurposes these devices, by either recycling them to be used in new devices, or by commissioning artists to create sustainable art pieces. “ According to the U.S. E-Waste Statistics, it was estimated that each person in the U.S. threw away 46 pounds of e-waste in 2019. Only 15% was recycled or disposed of properly. Many of the materials required to make electronic devices work are toxic or hazardous to human health. If incorrectly disposed of, e-waste can harm people’s health and the environment. It can lead to buildup and toxic runoff in landfills, detrimental impacts on wildlife, and irresponsible stewardship of limited and finite resources. With the increasing magnitude of e-waste, we must be mindful enough to find sustainable alternatives. Katie Wilson, a member of the Greek organization Kappa Kappa Gamma and one of the students leading this drive, explains “partnering with so many campus organizations who value both service and sustainability has been an amazing way to spread awareness of the global e-waste problem, but also how we can be part of the solution.” Every home in America has a junk drawer, and many of these drawers hold discarded e-waste. By participating in this challenge, you can help turn that waste into something new instead of letting it clutter your home. This challenge has the potential to be the largest recycling project this year, and you have an opportunity to be a part of it by donating your discarded electronics. Sergio Aparicio
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