E-Waste collections supports community

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - Emerald Coast Community of Makers with the Long Hollow Community Center is holding its first Community E-Waste Collection Day Saturday, June 30 from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m.

The event is four fold in supporting the community.

Anyone can bring electronic waste such as computers, mobile phones and small consumer devices for proper disposal at not charge to the ECCM Makerspace on Guillemard in Pensacola.

Consumer electronics cannot be safely disposed in curbside trash collection. Most of the devices contain materials that are toxic when left to leach out into soil and water systems.

ECCM will transport the collected items to a local firm that recycles the materials.

People who stop by can also learn how to do data duplication, erasing and hard-drive destruction. Donation will be accepted.

The ECCM also plans to refurbish ten usable machines with Open Source Software. Those machines will be donated to the Long Hollow Community Center to support technical classes to be taught at the center.
 
The ECCM is also collection donations to rebuild the Makerspace which was damaged during the June 9, 2012 weather. Heavy rainfall left 16 inches of standing water in the building which ruined walls and much of the lab's furnishings. The bathroom also needs to be gutted and rebuilt.

The membership and volunteers have put in dozens of hours to remove the drywall and other waterlogged items to mitigate the damages.