My impression is that MSU has their hands full trying to deal with recycling of MSU-owned electronics. In Mid-Michigan there seem to be enough municipal recycling events that I'm not sure MSU needs to do more. I do recall that MSU hosted a joint electronics recycling pickup for the general public in the parking lot at Harrison and Kalamazoo a few years ago, but that's the only one I know of. East Lansing has electronics recycling at Project Pride each May, and Lansing has offered electronics recycling twice a year for quite a few years now in April and October. The addition of the January and February events in Lansing for 2009 is almost certainly a reaction to the conversion to digital television.
 
Since off-campus residents are served by the municipal events, and MSU handles the campus-owned equipment already, who would be the market for additional efforts--the students? Most students leave after four years or less, so I wonder how much they would have to recycle.

From: MSU Network Administrators Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard Wiggins
Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 7:05 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] CRT recycling in MSU, greater Lansing communities?

Jack,
 
Please re-read my posting.  I'm not just asking how to dispose of MSU-owned CRT devices; I'm asking what, if any outreach efforts, in the form of organized collection drives, MSU sponsors or joins -- events aimed at the MSU and area communities, not limited to MSU-owned equipment.  In my online searches, I found no such events.
 
MSU does organize annual collections of telephone books.  During the next year or two, disposal of CRTs, no matter who owns them, will have a huge environmental impact, locally and globally.  CRTs are tricky to properly take apart, and have lead and other nasty materials inside. 
 
Thanks,
 
/rich

On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 4:23 PM, Kramer, Jack <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I think the usual procedure has been to surplus the undesired CRTs - if they can sell the units they will, and they recycle non-saleable surplus.

----
Jack Kramer
Computer Systems Specialist
University Relations, Michigan State University
517-884-1231
(Sent from a mobile device)

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Wiggins
Sent: Sun 12/07/2008 11:38
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MSUNAG] CRT recycling in MSU, greater Lansing communities?
Does MSU sponsor any organized collection drives for recycling CRT televisions and computer monitors?  A bunch of searching finds nothing at MSU, but there are some upcoming events in the area.

Disposal of CRT monitors and televisions will peak massively in 2009 because: people are buying laptops instead of desktops, people are buying LCD displays to replace desktop CRT monitors, and people are replacing CRT televisions with flat panels -- all in record numbers. In particular,  February 17, 2009 will cause a huge spike of CRTs in area landfills.  

I personally need to dispose of 4 CRT monitors and televisions, so I searched for community efforts. Unfortunately searches for such programs don't turn up anything at MSU. You find lots of "eat your spinach" announcements telling people what a great idea it is to recycle CRTs, but I'm not finding any organized efforts.

-- From www.msu.edu, searches such as "dispose CRT" or "recycle TV" find documents, some quite old, on why it's a good idea, but zero info on actual campus or community events or programs.  

-- From recycle.msu.edu. these searches find nothing.  Featured info links are telephone directories, flourescent tubes, and transparencies.

-- At bespartangreen.msu.edu you can't search for this -- there is no search box.  "News and Events" describes recycling efforts in Snyder-Phillips and in library restrooms -- for Fall, 2007 -- nothing about CRTs or televisions.

Some poking around did reveal two events coming up sponsored by the City of Lansing in January and February.

/rich

http://www.lansingmi.gov/Lansing/gogreen/freeewastecoll09.pdf

FREE TV AND COMPUTER RECYCLING EVENTS COMING
SOON TO LANSING!
Event is Open to Everyone!
(Please call ahead to arrange time for large loads)
Dates:
(Rain or Shine!)
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Time:
9am—2pm
Location:
Ingham County Road Commission, 5613 S. Aurelius Rd.
(between Jolly and Miller)

Items Accepted Include:
·  Televisions—All sizes
·  PC's, desktops, towers, servers, all in ones (apple imac) or notebooks
·  Computer monitors (14", 15", 17", 19", 21", CRT or LCD type)
·  Printers
·  Computer parts such as floppies, hard drives, memory, circuit boards, anything you would find in a PC, scanners, UPS's
·  Cell Phones

Get FREE discount coupons for new electronics!
Questions? Contact Waste Reduction Services at 517-483-4400 or 
[log in to unmask]
Hosted by The City of Lansing and Classic Computer Inc.
Special thanks to the Ingham County Road Commission for use of their facility.
City of Lansing,
Virg Bernero, Mayor