OLG sites save hundreds of electronics from going to landfill!

Electronic waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams with millions of metric tonnes being produced each year. One way that Living Planet @ Work champions have taken action on this issue is by hosting employee e-waste drives, collecting piles of outdated or broken electronics and sending it off to be responsibly recycled so it doesn’t end up in the landfill or illegally shipped overseas.
I spoke to two “Bet on Green” team members at OLG who recently hosted employee and community e-waste collections to find out about their results.
OLG E-waste collections: Results by the Numbers!

OLG Bet On Green Champion: Marianne Morencie
This was the 2^nd e-waste Day held at OLG Casino Point Edward.  14 employees graciously volunteered their time to help out during the drive.  163 vehicles came out to drop off their e-waste.  They even had a local radio station stop by for a 2-hour live remote broadcast, promoting the event throughout the Point Edward community.  At the end of the day, 1.5 bins were filled with e-waste!
Collection Results:

• 324 computer components collected (including monitors, printers, keyboards, hard drives and towers, mouse, etc)
• 6 Laptops 
• 155 TVs, DVD players, VCRs, etc.
• 154 radios and stereo components (including speakers, turntables, receivers, etc.)
• 111 telephone components and cameras
• 89 – in the “other” categories – such as vacuums, coffee makers, hair appliances, toaster, power tools, assorted cords and cables, and several other items

Marianne’s Tips for hosting an e-waste Day!
 1. Start planning your e-waste drive a few months in advance. The logistics and promotion plus unexpected circumstances day-of, calls for a well-thought out plan A and B! 
2. Connect with local community organizations like Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) and local radio stations that can provide informational, logistical and promotional support. 
3. Be flexible and think on your feet! It rained and poured the day of Point Edward’s e-waste drive but they were prepared with tents to cover the materials and bins!

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OLG Bet On Green Champion: Micheal McDonald
This e-waste drive was a first to be held at OLG Slots at Dresden Raceway! There were 8 Bet on Green team members on site and 6 employee volunteers came out to also lend their support. $185 for every metric tonne of e-waste collected was donated to a local charity.
Collection Results:

• 22 TVs
• 6 Laptops
• 28 Monitors
• 32 Speakers / Radios
• 35 Computer Parts
• 34 Telephones / Cell phones / Answering Machines
• 34 Computer Towers
• 17 VCRs
• 28 Printers
• 12 Organ / Keyboards
• 28 Receivers
• 2 Camcorders
• 1 Alarm Clock
• 4 DVD players
• 1 Punch clock
• 284 electronic waste items in total!

 

Micheal’s Tips for hosting an E-waste collection:
 1. Get buy-in and support from employees and make sure that they are on board with the initiative. How to do this? Present them with the education and facts that show them that e-waste drives are an important environmental initiative at work and in the community.
 2. Take lessons and ideas from other green teams! The Bet On Green team at Dresden heard about Point Edward’s E-waste Day through the corporate Intranet and photo board. They saw what Point Edward had done, were inspired and decided to make an impact too!
 3. Don’t leave your fellow Bet on Green team members hanging! On the day of Point Edward’s collection (mentioned above), OLG employee, Ken Lewis drove 40 minutes from Dresden to Point Edward to drop off some missing signage and promotional material that was needed for their e-waste Day! All in the name of teamwork and green work!
Have some old electronic equipment lying around and don’t know what to do with it? Engage your colleagues and community by hosting an e-waste drive through the Living Planet @ Work Smart Office Challenge. Start planning, download the toolkit and organize your pick up!