RoboCats clean up at e-waste recycling event

The Waconia RoboCats robotics team in partnership with Recycling of Minnesota captured six pallets of electronic waste at a collection event held June 8 at the Waconia Middle School parking lot.

Collected items included laptops, flat screen TVs, many outdated phones, old game systems, and lots of cords, according to organizers.

Electronic waste represents one of the fastest growing waste streams on the planet – an estimated 50 million tons annually, according to a recent report from the World Health Organization and an earlier story we carried on Carver County recycling efforts. So far, less than 20 percent of that waste is collected and recycled. The WHO warns that e-waste is a threat to the environment and human health if it is not treated, disposed of, and recycled appropriately.

The RoboCats and more than 50 visitors did their part at the robotics team’s first-ever e-waste collection event, which organizers say could become an annual event on the community calendar.

Recycling of Minnesota sends off collected e-waste for recycling and proper disposal, so none of the collected components are expected to show up in the RoboCats robot for next competitive season.