LAKE CHARLES, La. — March 5, 2018 — Southwest Louisiana residents united on March 3 to recycle unwanted electronics at the CITGO E-Recycle Day, an annual event that has now become a popular annual tradition.
The CITGO Lake Charles Refinery hosted the event with the City of Lake Charles, McNeese State University, Team Green of Southwest Louisiana, Keep Calcasieu Beautiful and Waste Management to provide residents with the opportunity to recycle their “e-waste,” completely free of charge.
The event interchanges between Sulphur and Lake Charles every year to give residents equal opportunity to recycle in the region and this year it took place at the McNeese State University stadium parking lot. During the event, 786 vehicles lined up to drop-off e-waste. Collection totals included 10 roll-off boxes of e-waste, as well as approximately 990 light bulbs, one ounce of mercury and 50 pounds of batteries.
“CITGO E-Recycle Day continues to offer an opportunity for Southwest Louisiana residents to participate as environmental stewards in taking care of our community,” said Jerry Dunn, Vice President and General Manager CITGO Lake Charles Refinery. “CITGO is proud that our community has truly made this event their own and that residents take the initiative to save items throughout the year, specifically for recycling at E-Recycle Day. The Southwest Louisiana spirit of environmental stewardship grows stronger every year, proven by this event’s continued popularity.”
Since 2009, more than 324 tons of electronic waste has been kept out of landfills. E-waste items collected included TVs, cell phones, computers and other household electronics, including items containing mercury. CITGO E-Recycle Day is one of many initiatives sponsored by CITGO as part of its commitment to a cleaner and healthier environment, now and for future generations. Recycling electronics allows residents to be environmental stewards and ensures that harmful metals in electronics are kept out of landfills.
About the CITGO Lake Charles Refinery
CITGO has a longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship. In Lake Charles, we are dedicated to enhancing the communities we serve by offering events like E-Recycle Day and programs like CITGO Earth Keepers, which features recycling initiatives and environmental education in 26 local schools and five local businesses. Additionally, since 2014, CITGO has supported coastal conservation and restoration efforts in Louisiana through Caring for Our Coast, our signature initiative focused on helping preserve natural habitats that are critical to the prosperity of our communities. Since the program’s inception, Caring for Our Coast volunteers have planted 13 miles of dune grass along the Cameron Parish coastline.
About CITGO
CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com.