By Mark Ambrogi
University High School junior Jay Maturi has long been concerned about electronics recycling.
His first community based recycling drive was designed as part of his Eagle Scout project and was held last year.
In conjunction with Indianapolis-based Technology Recyclers, Maturi will host a second Earth Day electronics recycling drive from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 22 at University High School, 2825 W. 116th St., Carmel.
“Technology Recyclers is helping me dispose of the electronics, and the school is supplying me space for the actual drive,” Maturi said.
Maturi, a Carmel resident, said devices to drop off include phones, computers, printers, tablets and cables. The only cost will be $10 to drop off tube TVs with a CRT (Cathode ray tube) screen.
“There is very little awareness on how detrimental having old electronics being thrown in the landfills is,” Maturi said.
Maturi said after being thrown in the landfill, the electronics release heavy metals and chemicals like mercury and lead, which can endanger the environment, hurting animals and plants.
“I did some research at Marian University on how detrimental mercury is to the environment,” he said.
Maturi said more than 20 million tons of electronics end up in landfills, with only about 12 percent of that material being properly recycled.
“A lot of the work I’ve done with the Boys Scouts is working outdoors and working on the preservation of the environment,” he said. “That led me to try to this idea of finding ways to divert metals from entering the environment.”
Maturi is woking with Orchard and Sycamore schools, private Indianapolis schools (through eighth grade), to educate the students on proper electronics waste disposal.
“They are running their own electronics recycling drives at their schools with my help,” Maturi said.
For more on where materials can be recycled, visit tech-recyclers.com.
