Black Hills State University has won a national award for efforts to manage its electronic waste.
BHSU was one of 16 colleges to win the2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition. It collected more than 5000 pounds of e-waste over eight weeks, according to a press release from the school. The school stockpiles old printers and computers throughout the semester, then recycles them each semester.
Electronic devices contain several toxic chemicals, including mercury and lead. If they aren’t disposed of properly, those substances can leach into the environment.
The competition, organized by the National Wildlife Federation, encourages colleges and universities to reduce the waste of their footprints. In addition to e-waste, it also gives awards for waste reduction and composting.
The group estimates29.4 million pounds of waste were donated, composted or recycled through the initiative this year.