Earth Day 2006 collection yields 300 tons of discarded electronics

Published: 2006-04-28

MARQUETTE, Mich. (CNS) -- Encouraged by their bishop, Catholics joined thousands of others in Michigan's Upper Peninsula who turned in more than 300 tons of old and broken computers, televisions, cell phones and other electronic waste April 22 during an Earth Day campaign. "I don't think anybody dreamed there would be this kind of response," said Bishop Alexander K. Sample of Marquette about the event, the second annual Earth Keeper Clean Sweep. "It's wonderful, it's incredible -- if you provide people with an opportunity to do something good with the environment, they will respond." It also provided an opportunity for Christians and non-Christians to work together, he said. "There are plenty of things that separate us, but there are also efforts such as this that can unite us and we can come and work together despite our religious differences in a common effort that is meaningful to all of us," he said. An estimated 10,000 people dropped off electronic waste to more than 350 volunteers of all faiths during the second annual Earth Keeper Clean Sweep.

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