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By Craig Leroux, Senior Communications Officer

After the success of last year’s inaugural event, Recycle IT Games is returning in conjunction with Sustainability Week.

The Recycle IT Games are a partnership between ITServices and the Sustainability Office. With events like laptop toss and cellphone accuracy throw, the games promise a fun way for the Queen’s community to recycle its unwanted electronics.

“When e-waste ends up in landfills, dangerous toxins can leach into the surrounding environment. But when hardware is recycled all usable parts are reclaimed and hazardous materials are disposed of safely,” says Brian Coughtrey, Coordinator, Campus Computer Store (CCS). “The Recycle IT Games are a great way to highlight the importance of proper e-waste disposal and the recycling services that Queen’s offers year-round.”

This year the games will take place on Tuesday, October 1 from 10 am to 2 pm in the parking lot at the corner of Division and Union Streets. Every participant will receive a free giveaway and can enter a draw for prizes from the Campus Computer Store (CCS) such as a $300 gift card, a tablet computer, monitor or printer.

Desktop and laptop computers, monitors, hard drives, scanners, fax machines, TVs, DVD players, VCRs, cameras, cellphones and other e-waste can be dropped off, used in the games and recycled.

Last year’s games proved a tremendous success, with nearly 3.5 tonnes of e-waste collected and disposed of safely, including 2,179 kilograms of computer towers and 590 kilograms of monitors. That’s a little more than 10 percent of the e-waste that Queen’s recycled last year.

If you are unable to attend the recycling games, you can drop off hardware at the CCS, which collects and recycles e-waste year-round. If the equipment is owned by Queen’s, staff and faculty may also contact to set up an e-waste pick up. But Andrew Couto of the CCS suggests contacting the computer store if the hardware contains confidential information, so it can ensure that all hard drives are removed and securely erased.

“While one day of smashing and recycling electronics is fun it is important to remember how to properly dispose of e-waste during the rest of the year,” says Mr. Couto. “The CCS is one of the few places on campus where you can drop off your e-waste and have your data properly destroyed.”

The Recycle IT Games are part of Queen’s Sustainability Week, happening Sept. 30 to Oct. 4. This year’s theme is “five days, five ways” and the games happen on Tuesday, October 1 when the day’s focus is waste diversion.