PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Due to popular demand, The Aroostook Medical Center will once again offer the opportunity to bring used, broken and unwanted electronic devices for proper disposal, free of charge, this fall. In addition, the medical center will collect no-longer-needed medical equipment to donate to Partners for World Health.
The combination electronics recycling and medical equipment collection day is planned for Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. at TAMC’s A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital campus on Academy Street in Presque Isle.
For nearly two decades, TAMC has cared for the planet by actively participating in electronics recycling, but for the past two years, they have taken it one step further by co-sponsoring a special electronics recycling day with partner Electronics End, LLC, and extending the event into the community.
“We have been amazed at the response from the community during these events,” said Mark Bourgoin, chair of TAMC’s Green Team and organizer of the event. “To date, with the three other recycling day events we have held, we have collected about 150,000 pounds of equipment.
“Properly disposing of these electronic items keeps harmful material out of the environment and allows for recycling of reusable elements, thus improving the sustainability of earth’s resources,” Bourgoin said.
Items that TAMC’s Green Team and Electronics End, LLC will accept include computer monitors, network servers, TVs, desktop printers, digital frame pictures, cellphones, laptops, game consoles, computer towers, data/electrical cables, FAX machines, scanners, copiers, speakers, keyboards, stereos, DVD/VHS players and overhead projectors. They are unable to accept light bulbs or batteries at this event.
During TAMC’s spring recycling day event, the hospital collaborated with Partners for World Health to accept medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and any number of items that people may no longer have a use for but could be put to use overseas to countries in need. Smaller items, such as the “grabbers” used by patients recovering from certain surgeries or conditions, unused insulin needles still in their packages, unopened packages of gauze, Ace bandages and any number of other items are also accepted.
With the positive response from community members on this effort, TAMC reached out to collaborate with the organization once again for the upcoming fall event.
“TAMC had been donating items for the past year to this organization, and we felt that community members might also want the chance to support this cause while getting rid of medical items that they no longer need. That did prove to be the case, so we are happy to be able to offer this option once again,” explained Bourgoin.
Partners for World Health is a Maine-based, non-profit organization working to make a global impact. Based in South Portland, they strive to reduce medical equipment waste in landfills while improving global well-being by recycling medical supplies that need to be discarded because of U.S. government regulations. According to the organization, these supplies are perfectly capable of reuse or repurposing. Such donations have a low impact on those donating but a major impact on developing countries that receive them.
Both electronic recycling items and donations for Partners for World Health will be accepted at the maintenance garage near the rear of the TAMC campus. Signs will be posted to direct people on the collection date.
For additional information, interested persons may contact Mark Bourgoin at (207) 768-4349 or by email at mbourgoin@tamc.org.
