A recycling drive hosted by a small contingent of Islanders last week brought in nearly $5,000 to cover the costs of a dental van that provides oral health care to low-income children.

The drive, spearheaded by Hilary Emmer, was the second recycling effort to fund ongoing trips by the dental van, owned and operated by Medical Teams International.

The drive — which took in appliances, electronics, scrap metal and other unwanted items — was more successful than one held last fall, Emmer said. All told, 11 truckloads were taken off the Island, compared to nine truckloads last September. And the event raised $4,900 from Islanders who donated to the effort this time around; last year, it garnered $4,000 in donations.

The money will cover the costs of six visits over the course of the upcoming academic year by the dental van, Emmer said. During the academic year that just ended, the van also visited six times; those who staff the van saw 45 children and filled 35 cavities, Emmer said.

Emmer said she’s pleased the recycling drive once again proved successful. She had about a dozen volunteers helping out, including Michael O’Donnell of Sound Computing, who removed more than 100 hard drives from discarded computers, some of which he returned to their owners.

“I’m just happy. It was very successful,” she said.