Power Recycling Weekend at the Indianapolis Zoo

Celebrate Earth Day by Recycling Old Electronics at the Zoo
Power Recycling Weekend presented by Ingram Micro is April 27-28

INDIANAPOLIS, 2013-04-23 — /travelprnews.com/ — With Earth Day just around the corner, the Indianapolis Zoo is inviting area residents to do something kind for Mother Earth by participating in Power Recycling Weekend presented by Ingram Micro. Electronic waste is a growing problem in the U.S., with millions of tons of e-waste incinerated or placed into landfills each year. By taking those items to the Zoo to be recycled, visitors are helping to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals released into the ground, water and air.

This semi-annual event will take place from 9am to 3pm April 27-28 in the Zoo parking lot. The Zoo’s two Power Recycling events in 2012 collected a combined 39,981 pounds, or 19 tons, of recyclables. As a way to say thanks for being a good environmental steward, anyone who brings items for recycling will receive a $2 discount coupon on Zoo admission good through Nov. 1, 2013.

New this year, the Zoo is offering visitors an additional option to help de-clutter their closets in an environmentally friendly way. Goodwill of Central Indiana will be on site at the event to collect new and gently used clothes, household items, furniture, books, toys and more.

Additionally, most electronics — including microwaves, cell phones and computers, to name just a few— will be accepted. However, large appliances, like refrigerators, washers, dryers and air conditioners, will not be accepted. Yellow Pages has returned to provide phone book recycling and document shredding will be offered from 10am to 2pm both days compliments of Shred Monkey.

The following are examples of what can be recycled during the Zoo’s Power Recycling Weekend:

Telephone systems
Cellular phones
Computers and components
Monitors (no bare CRT tubes)
Scanners and copiers
Printers
Fax machines
Backup power systems
External hard drives
Satellite components
Ink and toner cartridges
Keyboards
Microwaves
Televisions
Cables and wiring
Electronic motors
Metals
Integrated circuits
Microphones
Laserdisc players
VCR/DVD players
Video game systems
Surge protectors
Palm pilots/PDAs
Power cables and supplies
Office paper
Phone books

Marking its fourth year as lead sponsor of Power Recycling Weekend, Ingram Micro and its employees are excited to again provide volunteer support. Volunteers will be on hand to make vehicle unloading fast and easy. Please note there is a $5 processing fee for TVs and monitors.

Otherwise the service is free. For document shredding, there will be a limit of three boxes per vehicle. Look for the special signs in the Zoo parking lot to find the drop-off areas.

In 2009 alone, more than 2.5 million tons of electronic waste was disposed of improperly. Many of these electronic devices contain mercury and lead, which could leach into the ground contaminating soil and water supplies. Cell phones are a major contributor to this problem; however, cell phones are also a prized recyclable item because of the precious metals they contain. A 2006 report by the United States Geological Survey estimated that a ton of obsolete cell phones (excluding batteries) contains 140 kilograms of copper, 31.4kg silver, 300g gold, 130g palladium and 3g platinum. However, according to a recent EPA report, only eight percent of all out-of-use mobile devices in the U.S. had been recycled as of 2009.

The Zoo takes a leadership role in this challenge, not only by hosting two electronics recycling events each year but also by recycling as much Zoo waste as possible — from plastics and office paper to tree trimmings and “Zoo doo.” For more information on the Zoo’s recycling efforts, watch this video. Special thanks to Ray’s Trash, the Zoo’s official every day recycling partner.

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About the Indianapolis Zoo
Located in White River State Park downtown, the Indianapolis Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Association of Museums as a zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. The Indianapolis Zoo empowers people and communities, both locally and globally, to advance animal conservation.

About Ingram Micro
Ingram Micro is the world’s largest wholesale technology distributor and a global leader in IT supply-chain, mobile device lifecycle services and logistics solutions. As a vital link in the technology value chain, Ingram Micro creates sales and profitability opportunities for vendors and resellers through unique marketing programs, outsourced logistics and mobile solutions, technical support, financial services and product aggregation and distribution. The company is the only global broadbased IT distributor, serving 160 countries on six continents with the world’s most comprehensive portfolio of IT products and services. Visit www.ingrammicro.com.

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