Recycling is for the birds
By Nelson Daily Staff
It’s a time-honoured tradition with a twist.
Along with the usual fund-raising activities at Beaks, there is a new way to raise money that benefits the environment as well.
Beaks is tackling the growing problem of electronic waste and literally turning trash into cash.
Beaks is joining Think Recycle, a program which gathers used print cartridges, cell phones and digital cameras. These items are exchanged for money, which then can be used to care for and rehabilitate injured birds from all over the Kootenays.
Greentec, the company behind Think Recycle, collects, processes and recycles the cartridges and cell phones, diverting the electronic waste from local landfill sites.
“We are just thrilled about this fund-raising programme,” said Janice Kelley, a director with Beaks. “Together with our on-going collection of refundable bottles and cans, Beaks protects the environment by reducing the amount of trash going to the dump, and raises money for the birds at the same time.”
Over 300 million empty print cartridges are generated in North America every year. That’s 900,000,000 pounds of waste that can potentially end up in a landfill.
“With our new recycling programme, not only do you help Beaks raise money for birdcare, but you directly protect the environment and do a good thing,” said Kelley.
The public can drop off printer cartridges, old cell phones and digital cameras at KelPrint, Curves or Dragonflies and Fairy Dust as well as at Beaks in Castlegar. Valu Office Supplies in Trail And Curves in Nelson are also collecting these items for Beaks.
Items collected by Beaks are processed entirely within Canada and are never sent overseas as can happen with other recycling programs.
Beaks, the only wild bird rehabilitation centre in the Kootenays, has been operating since 1971. It became a charitable, non-profit organization in 1998 and is recognised for its outstanding work saving the lives of birds and returning them to the wild.
