VU Supports "Computer Recycling Day" for Middle Tennessee

Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell and VCEMS Co-Director Dr. Mark Cohen thank volunteers for assisting Dell with this important project.

Vanderbilt University already has two great programs for computer recycling: University-owned computers are collected and recycled on a regular basis, and a separate computer collection campaign exists to allow to students to recycle their old computers.

But what about all those other computers in the Nashville area? Vanderbilt University has been a partner with Dell Computers and several other organizations in supporting Dell's annual Computer Recycling Day. Since 2003, Vanderbilt University has provided Dell with a centralized location and numerous volunteer helpers, giving residents in Nashville and surrounding areas a convenient way to recycle their unwanted computers free of charge.

Computer Recycling Day at Vanderbilt University has grown in popularity each successive year. In 2006, event volunteers collected over 100 tons of discarded computers and peripheral equipment (monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, and laptop computers). Over 1,200 vehicles passed through Vanderbilt's Natchez Trace Parking Lot (Lot 74) during the 2006 event in order to drop off unwanted computers! Eighty tons of computers and equipment were collected during the 2005 event, and 42 tons of computers were collected during the inaugural collection event in 2003.

Volunteers unloading computer components from cars and preparing them for shipment to recyclers.

The number of computers collected each year is not the only thing that has grown over the years; the importance of computer recycling has also grown tremendously. As noted in The Tennessean prior to the 2005 Computer Recycling Day, many charitable organizations that once accepted computer systems have not placed restrictions on what they will take. Goodwill Industries will only accept working computers and keyboards; peripherals and monitors are no longer accepted. Prior to the restrictions, Goodwill had to throw away most of the systems that were donated because they were obsolete or broken, with disposal costs cutting into the organization's core programs such as job training and rehabilitation. Several other local charities, such as the Salvation Army, have also had to place restrictions on the types of computers they can accept.

Fortunately, Dell can accept all types of computers, laptops, monitors, and peripherals during the Computer Recycling Day. Dell donates usable systems to charities, while other systems are disassembled. Dismantled machines have some parts that can be reused; other portions of the computer, such as the plastic, metals, and glass, are crushed and recycled.

Hosting Computer Recycling Day at Vanderbilt University is just one of the ways that Vanderbilt helps Middle Tennessee be a more sustainable place to live and work. Diverting electronic waste from landfills and recycling precious resources are key elements to a sustainable Middle Tennessee.