On Saturday, April 23, the Youth Care Club hosted an electronic recycling event at Pacific Trails Middle School in honor of Earth Day.
The Youth Care Club (YCC) is a student-run volunteer organization of students from several schools including Pacific Trails Middle School, Canyon Crest Academy, Torrey Pines High School and more. The team collected everything from computers, printers, keyboards, to mice, phones, speakers and an impressive 1,500 batteries.
According to the YCC, Americans generate millions of tons of e-waste every year and those numbers are rapidly increasing due to heavier reliance on electronics and advances in technology so people are upgrading to newer products more often. Recycling and reusing electronics saves energy and resources, requiring fewer raw materials and releasing less greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. In addition, electronics usually contain toxins that when introduced to landfill can pollute the soil, groundwater, and air which impacts humans.
The YCC encourages people to recycle their old electronics and positively impact the planet at the same time.