GULF SHORES, Ala. — Almost five tons of old electronic equipment was turned in for recycling on Jan. 12 at an e-cycling day at the Gulf State Park Saltwater Pavilion.

Councilman Steve Jones was a leader in the e-cycling effort and gave a report on the day at a City Council meeting on Jan. 28.

“We were notified by our contractor from our e-cycling and shred event that we received 4,000 pounds of paper for the community shred and 9,890 pounds of electronic scrap,” Jones said. “So we almost hit five tons. That’s a significant amount of material to be collected.”

Jones said a collaborative effort led to the successful event.

“It’s a team effort,” Jones said. “A lot of people put their heads together to make this work and the testament of that team work is the success of this event. I want to thank everyone that assisted especially Grant Brown and our Public Works department.”

Help from the community was also evident in the number of volunteers who showed up to help, Jones said.

“There were an awful lot of people that showed up to help and unload things,” Jones said. “The weather was perfect. Our contractor working with us for the first time, Gilmore Services out of Pensacola, they were very impressed with the preparation. We had a lot of help from the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and a Girl Scout from the local leaders.”

The event was not just for coastal residents, Jones said, but attracted people from many parts of south Baldwin County.

“I want to make clear to everyone that although this was staged in the Gulf Shores-Orange Beach area anyone was welcome to participate anytime we have one of those events,” Jones said. “The Foley area, anyone can bring from any area to contribute to dispose of things the right way.”

Jones said the post-Christmas events seem to get the best reaction from the public and there will be no mid-year event in 2013.

“After Christmas the schedule seems to work best for everyone,” he said. “They are retiring old electronics and what not.”

But Jones said the city and chamber will work together on an annual Earth Day event.

“On Earth Day there will be another Chamber event, a Clean Coast Expo,” he said. “We will connect some sort of event to keep the awareness of what we are down here all about doing, how sensitive this environment is, how to be good stewards and dispose of things the right way and take better care of where we live.”