June 2nd was another demonstration that people in Nelson County, Ky., and the surrounding environs do, indeed, care about protecting creation.
St. Joseph School in Bardstown provided their spacious parking lot for the fifth Catholic Charities of Louisville electronics recycling day. This effort was endorsed by County Judge Executive Dean Watts, Catholic parishes in Nelson County including the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, St. Monica, St. Thomas, St. Catherine of Alexandria, Immaculate Conception, St. Gregory and St. Michael; and the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
Catholic Charities’ big partner in this endeavor was 2trg — a company with plants in Louisville, Cincinnati and Geneva, N.Y.. 2trg has been in business for 7 years so far and to date has diverted more than 75 million pounds of electronic waste from landfills. By the way: “2trg” stands for Technology Recycling Group.
After awaiting the clearing of a tragic wreck on the Gene Snyder Freeway, 2trg’s crew of six (who had started their day at 4 a.m.!) quickly set up shop to receive all sorts of electronic devices, including televisions and CRT computer monitors. Jerry, John, Victor, Miguel, Keith and Jose were very professional, efficient and unfailingly polite and helpful to all comers.
Our big contributors included Bethlehem High School and INOAC Corporation (who came with their truck of donations). St. Monica had two pickup trucks worth of items, St. Joseph parish and school had items, a local TV repairman has a wife pleased by the reduced items in their garage, and many others in the 8:20 a.m. to 2 p.m. day.
No doubt some of you heard word of it on WBRT radio and Mr. Isaacs’ coverage on PLG-TV as well as his interview a couple weeks ago of Steve Mumford from 2trg. The Kentucky Standard newspaper was gracious in helping us get media releases out in other newspapers in the area.
Catholic Charities is very grateful to all for support and participation in this endeavor. There were others interested, too — but the date of the event and access to staff/volunteers to transport their items didn’t work out. But those people take advantage of the several sites Nelson County has (but not for TVs or CRT monitors) or the site in Springfield, Ky. Our folks do care.
2trg recycles EVERYTHING in these devices. Nothing goes to the landfill and nothing is exported. A 2trg representative demonstrated how they deal with televisions (before the flat screen generation) and computer processors — he showed how they sort the components, where they go, how long it takes to dismantle them. Some eighty employees work in the company’s three sites.
It all is very sensitizing about how many electronics we use — and how “quickly” they rotate out of use. Twenty years ago, there was a generational turnover in computer hardware and software every five years; a few years back that was reduced to 18 months. Now?
It is so important, though, that each and all of us take great care of creation — Earth is our only planetary home. This is for ourselves, for all else on Earth at this time and certainly for future generations. Earth’s population has more than doubled in the past century — all of us using the same supply of resources and the same “trash can” (although there is no “away” in “throw away”, as Sister of Mercy Marilyn King has wisely noted.)
Our extra efforts, thinking ahead, not using more than we really need is really a blessing for us all. St. Francis of Assisi smiles on us all, no doubt, and Catholic Charities thanks you all.
Catholic Charities strives to provide service for people in need, advocate for justice in social structures, and call the entire church and other people of goodwill to do the same. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Louisville is a member of Catholic Charities USA.
Sister of Mercy Mary Schmuck
