SPECIAL -It's a time honored tradition with a twist! Along with its usual fundraising activities, the Georgian Bay General Hospital Volunteer Association (GBGHVA) had added a new and profitable way to make money that benefits the environment as well. The GBGHVA is tackling the growing problem of electronic waste and literally turning it into cash.

The GBGHVA is participating in the Think Recycle program, which gathers unwanted cell phones, inkjet and toner cartridges from the community and exchanges them for money. Greentec, the company behind Think Recycle, then processes and recycles the products, diverting the electronic waste from entering local landfill sites.

"This new fundraising activity is not only great for our Hospital but it also directly protects our environment, "says Marg Lettau, Director of Special Projects, GBGHVA. This way we can stop filling up our landfills with electronic waste and fundraise at the same time!"

Over 300 million empty printer cartridges are generated in North America every year, or 900,000,000 pounds of waste that can potentially end up in a landfill. The Think Recycle program has been responsible for the diversion of more than one million cartridges from landfills and has provided nearly $3 million in funding to its participants. More than 20,000 schools in North America participate in the Think Recycle program, says Tony Perrotta, President of Greentec.

In addition to giving money for unwanted cell phones, inkjets and toner cartridges, Think Recycle donates money to have one tree planted, through Tree Canada, for every 24 qualifying products collected by the GBGHVA. The Think Recycle program has paid for the planting of more than 50,000 trees, effectively removing 8700 tones of carbon from the atmosphere.

"Not only are you helping us raise the much needed funds for equipment for our Hospital but you get to directly protect the environment and do a good thing," said Marg Lettau.

The public can drop off unwanted cell phones, inkjet and toner cartridges in the green boxes located in the Hospital lobbies, in both Midland and Penetanguishene. If you would like to have a green box installed at your place of business, please contact Lois Lipton of the GBGHVA at 705- 549-0903, or by email at loislipton@gmail.com.