In partnership with UPLB, through the UPLB Housing Office-Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (UHO-OVCCA), the UP Ecology and Systematics Students Society (UP ECOSSYTEMSS), conducted an electronic waste collection drive, E-Waste Project-Elbi, on 10-25 April 2018.
The Office of the Chancellor officially endorsed the activity through Memorandum No. 2018:045, encouraging UPLB students, faculty, and staff to voluntarily donate their e-wastes to the project.
In addition to this, UHO deployed a vehicle which was used to collect and transport the e-wates donated by UPLB constituents and residents from Los Baños and neighboring towns. An area was also pledged by the UHO for temporary storage of the collected e-wastes.
Collection sites in and around the campus were put up for small-sized e-wastes (e.g., CDs, DVDs, circuits, earphones, keyboards) on April 10-20 and large-sized ones (e.g., printers, computers, car batteries, appliances) on April 13-21. The UP ECOSYSTEMSS, however, extended the deadline up to April 25 due to the UPLB constituents’ high participation.
According to activity head and BS Biology (Ecology major) student Mr. John Paulo S. Quitoriano, the project is an on-going campaign, which aims to raise awareness on management of electronic wastes among UPLB constituents and surrounding areas. He added that the campaign also served as an outlet for the lobbying of a clear national policy focusing on e-waste management.
He also explained that e-wastes often end up being collected by or sold to junk shops or scavengers, who inappropriately process the wastes, doing the environment more harm than good. To remedy this practice, the project hands over the donated e-wastes to proper treatment facilities.
Moreover, he said that, with their partnership with the University, they were able to get more constituents to participate in the activity.
According to Vice Chancellor Serlie Barroga-Jamias, other student organizations are also welcome to partner with the OVCCA in their public service activities that address similar environmental issues in the community, as well as other issues being addressed by the office through its programs, such as health and wellness, disaster risk and reduction management, campus safety and security, and food and nutrition safety. (Written by: Mariz Diagan, OVCCA intern; Photos by: The E-Waste Project-ELBI / UP Ecosystemss)
