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A CANADIAN GROUP HAS FOUND A NEW WAY TO LIMIT WASTE AND POLLUTION, CONNECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND EMPOWER LOW-INCOME FAMILIES TO LEARN.  HEAR ALL ABOUT “SHARE-IT” ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.  

WE OFTEN HEAR HOW CRUCIAL IT IS TO BE ECO-CONSCIOUS – BUT ASIDE FROM RECYCLING, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?  THE SHARE-IT PROJECT IN CANADA COLLECTS AND REFURBISHES OLD OR UNUSED COMPUTERS, AND REDISTRIBUTES THEM TO FAMILIES WHO WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THEM OTHERWISE.  

THE PROGRAM IS ECOLOGICALLY AND SOCIALLY SAVVY.  SHARE-IT TRAINS LOCAL VOLUNTEERS ON THE TECHNICAL SKILLS NEEDED TO REFURBISH COMPUTERS.  IT REDUCES UNNECESSARY WASTE AND POLLUTION BY REUSING COMPUTER AND PRINTER PARTS, AND CUTS DOWN ON CONTAMINANTS LEACHING INTO RIVERS AND STREAMS FROM THE EQUIPMENT -- INCLUDING MERCURY AND LEAD.  AND BECAUSE IT GIVES LOWER-INCOME FAMILIES ACCESS TO COMPUTERS, IT HELPS THEM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VALUABLE EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES.        

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM. 

To learn more about Share-IT, visit the Community Environment Alliance.