UCSF Recycles 27 Tons of Electronics

Thanks to a $10,000 grant from Dell Inc., UCSF was able to recycle 27 tons of electronics during computer take-back days recently.

The two-day collection event at three campus locations was a first coordinated effort to recycle outdated and dysfunctional computer and electronics equipment that was just cluttering up the campus or the closets of those who took advantage of the free service.

The campus community filled up 13 trucks with obsolete computer and electronics equipment recently.

Faculty, staff and students brought in enough computer monitors, CPUs, hard drives, stereos, printers, computer parts, copiers and other electronics to fill 13 truckloads, reports Kathryn Hyde, co-director of the UCSF Recycling Program, part of Capital Projects & Facilities Management. Most of the equipment, which filled eight trucks, was contributed by the Parnassus campus community. UCSF contracted with the Computer Recycling Center, which promotes the highest and best reuse of computer and electronic equipment, and recycles unusable items to keep them out of landfills. Computer take-back days also featured a raffle as an incentive to participate. The four campus winners of the raffle prize, who each received a $100 gift certificate from The Source, were: Larry Ackerman, Department of Ophthalmology; Deborah Lee, General Internal Medicine; Jens Madsen, Cardiovascular Research Institute; and Guy Rainey, Campus Life Services - Finance.