Back proposed legislation that promotes safe, sustainable disposal of e-waste and growth of U.S. electronics recycling industry

Washington, DC - The Coalition for American Electronics Recycling (CAER) announced today that Alcoa, the world’s leading aluminum producer, and Waste Management Recycle America, North America’s leading provider of integrated environmental solutions, have joined the alliance. CAER represents U.S. companies that believe electronics recycling should be performed securely and sustainably for the benefit of the American economy.

As members of the Coalition, Waste Management Recycle America and Alcoa endorse passage of the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act, introduced last June. This legislation prohibits U.S. export of certain electronic waste (e-waste) to developing countries that lack safeguards to protect the environment and workers, and supports the expansion of the U.S. recycling industry.

“The addition of industry leading cornerstone organizations such as Waste Management and Alcoa is further proof of a growing consensus that the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act is good for business and will create much-needed jobs and enhance sustainability,” said John Shegerian, Co-founder and President, Electronic Recyclers International (ERI) and CAER steering committee member. “Our members are committed to growing an American industry with the capacity to manage e-waste generated within our borders and the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs in every part of the country. We’re extremely proud to have Waste Management and Alcoa join alongside us to support this crucial alliance.”

“Waste Management Recycle America is excited to join with fellow members of the e-waste community in pushing for passage of this bill. We believe strongly in limiting the export of hazardous electronic waste,” said Bill Caesar, president of WM Recycle America. “Waste Management continues to grow the eCycling business that is critical to reaching our goal of managing more than 20 million tons of recyclables each year by 2020.”

“Alcoa’s partnership with the largest electronics recycler in the U.S., Electronic Recyclers International, provides both an economic and environmental solution to e-waste,” said Kevin Anton, Alcoa Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer. “Aluminum use in the consumer electronics industry is growing rapidly due to its unique properties as an infinitely recyclable, light weight and heat conductive material. Alcoa is driving sustainable practices by supporting the reuse of aluminum and other materials across the consumer electronics industry.”

With the addition of Alcoa and Waste Management, CAER now includes 48 companies with facilities in 32 states and the District of Columbia. Visit the CAER website for a complete member list.

CAER is committed to growing an American industry with the capacity to manage the volume of e-waste generated within its borders, creating good jobs and expanded trade. For more information about HR 2284/SB1270, visit the CAER website, which includes links to the full text of each bill.

When the television show Extreme Makeover-Home Edition came to Knoxville, Tennessee, to renovate a home this week, Alcoa Recycling picked up its tools and volunteered its services along with local construction contractors and laborers. Alcoa’s “tools” came in the form of donating water in recyclable aluminum cans and recycling bins for the job site.

“Special events such as ‘Extreme Makeover – Home Edition’ provide great opportunities to reinforce the importance of recycling,” said Beth Schmitt, director of recycling programs for Alcoa.

The recycling bins are used for on-site collection of cans and bottles at the EMHE work site, the catering venues, and the VIP tent.

“Recycling should be an everyday activity that’s as automatic as wearing a seatbelt when you get into a car,” Schmitt continued. “Our contribution of these collection bins for the Extreme Makeover – Home Edition team is a small way to reinforce the idea that aluminum cans are too valuable to waste, regardless of where they are consumed.”

Cans and bottles collected at the work site will be recycled by Waste Connections, the recycling provider which manages the City of Knoxville’s new curbside recycling program which kicked off late last year. Waste Connections will also outfit the new home with a single stream cart for easy and continuous recycling after the project is complete.

The environmental effect of recycling the cans at the job site is almost immediate. An aluminum can goes from consumption, to being recycled into a new can, to being returned to a consumer's hand for consumption again in less than 60 days using only 5 percent of the energy it took to create the can originally.”

The Knoxville family whose home was chosen for the Extreme Makeover is Daniel and Mandy Watson and their three adopted children. The Watsons were selected because of their work with Restoration House of East Tennessee, a non-profit organization that helps low-income, single mothers with a place to stay and the tools to succeed in life.

The build began January 10, and will continue 24-hours around the clock for about a week until the home is rebuilt. More than 3,000 local volunteers are donating everything from labor, to supplies, to recycling services and canned water to help with the project. The episode is schedule to air around Thanksgiving weekend, 2012.

With the holiday season upon us, many consumers began their preparations on the busiest shopping day of the year – Black Friday on Nov. 25. On Black Friday, consumer electronics were among the most sought-after items, according to a Consumer Electronics Association report.  During the holiday shopping season, Alcoa, the world’s leading aluminum producer, is reminding shoppers to keep these tips in mind when purchasing consumer electronics. Green your gift giving this year.

What to Know Before You Shop

1. First, determine whether or not your electronic device still has any value or if someone else may be able to find value in it. If you can no longer find a use for it, look for an electronics recycler in your area using a resource such as Greener Gadgets, which allows you to view a list of nationwide manufacturer, retailer and certified electronics recycling programs in your area by zip code. Recycling aluminum uses 95 percent less energy and produces 95 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than making metal from new materials!


2. With aluminum, your electronics will always be cool… and stay cool. Because aluminum is more efficient at transferring heat than plastic and has better thermal management overall, devices made with the material can save energy. For example, an aluminum laptop is not only more energy efficient than plastic, but the battery life can be up to 20 percent longer. So, keep this in mind if you have your eye on a new smart phone, laptop or flat panel TV.


3. When shopping for new a new LCD TV,be sure to take a look at those models that use aluminum for back-panels. The light weight and high strength of aluminum make these TVs ideal for mounting directly on a wall. The improved strength, slimmer design and better cooling performance make these models the green choice.


4. Lighter is better. Electronic products made with aluminum parts, are not only infinitely recyclable, but these products will be much lighter in weight, allowing you to easily transport and move your device. Aluminum also allows for that hip metallic finish – the look and feel that consumers love.


5. Tablets and Aluminum. Not surprisingly, tablets are a wildly popular item on wish lists this year and tablets made with aluminum have certainly become a rising trend as well. Aluminum is the material of choice for many of these devices because it enables a slimmer, sleeker design, lighter overall weight, and comes with the added bonus of its recyclability. Be sure not to miss these!

For more tips on recycling and how to turn your holiday shopping green, visit www.alcoa.com/recycling.

PRC’s recycling campaign marks one-year anniversary; expands to Eastern PA

Steelers fans will continue to recycle aluminum cans, glass containers, plastic bottles and cups at the three remaining 2011 home games – Dec. 4 vs. Bengals, Dec. 8 vs. Browns and Dec. 24 vs. Rams – as part of PRC’s successful “Let’s Tackle Recycling” effort.

Since the launch of the campaign last December, tailgaters outside Heinz Field have recycled an average of 1 ½ TONS of material per game.

“We’re excited to celebrate the first anniversary of this extremely successful program and proud to announce that we’ve collected more than 16 TONS of recyclables since launching the program in December 2010,” said Dave Mazza, Regional Director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council.  “At the November 6 Ravens game alone, fans kept 4,880 pounds of recyclables out of local landfills by placing bottles, cans and plastic in blue recycling bags.”

The breakdown for the 32,320 pounds collected outside Heinz Field during the past eight regular season home games, Jan. 2011 playoff game and Jan. 2011 championship game:
•    8,080 pounds of aluminum cans
•    19,392 pounds of glass bottles
•    1,617 pounds of plastic cups and bottles
•    3,232 pounds of cardboard packaging

“Since the introduction of tailgate recycling late last season, we’ve been impressed by the positive response of tailgaters in Heinz Field lots,” said Mazza.  “Our goal has been to make recycling as easy and convenient as possible, and this program definitely proves that fans are more than willing to support recycling efforts when given instruction and the proper tools…large blue plastic bags in this instance.” 

The “Let’s Tackle Recycling” campaign – funded by the Alcoa Foundation – includes Alco Parking lot attendants distributing blue plastic recycling bags to those entering designated Heinz Field parking lots at every 2011 regular season Steelers home game.

“The tremendous success of this program in Pittsburgh has led PRC to expand tailgate recycling to the eastern end of the state,” said Mazza.  “In October PRC launched ‘Recycle A Lot’ tailgate recycling in Lincoln Financial Field parking lots at Philadelphia Eagles home games.”  

According to Beth Schmitt, Alcoa’s Director of Recycling, “Recycling saves energy, conserves resources and reduces the need for new landfills.  Aluminum is infinitely recyclable.  It takes 95% less energy to make a can from recycled aluminum than from raw materials, and the energy saved from recycling just one pound of aluminum could power an average home for four days.”

“Let’s Tackle Recycling” is coordinated by PRC and made possible through generous funding from the Alcoa Foundation in partnership with Alco Parking, City of Pittsburgh Environmental Services, Greenstar Recycling, Heinz Field and the Sports & Exhibition Authority.  For more information, visit www.prc.org or call 412-488-7490.

Re-post of an article from Packaging Digest

Recycling is not only good for the planet, but good for your wallet too. According to the Aluminum Assn, Americans earn nearly $1 billion a year from recycling aluminum cans, yet nearly another $1 billion worth of aluminum cans are still tossed into landfills. As national sponsors of America Recycles Day on Nov. 15, 2011, Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation are providing tools on its recycling website to make it easier for Americans to recycle.

The website is loaded with ideas on how to turn cans into treasure—from a free Aluminate iPhone app that helps users set and track financial recycling goals, to a turnkey toolkit that provides steps for planning a recycling campaign to raise money for charity.
 
"Increased recycling can also be a job creator," says Beth Schmitt, director of recycling programs for Alcoa. "According to the Container Recycling Institute, for every thousand tons of beverage containers recycled, between 1.5 and 7 jobs can be created by private industry. So recycling those energy-rich natural resources not only helps us become energy independent, but it also creates private sector jobs that we desperately need in this country."
 
While it's simple to recycle, it's not always easy. In some communities, consumers don't have access to recycling bins or know where to find recycling centers. That's why the website also includes a recycling center location search tool and a list of states offering recycling bins through Alcoa's Recycling Bin Donation Program.
 
"In 2008, Alcoa took up the charge to raise recycling rates in the U.S. to 75 percent by 2015, and we can only make it happen by getting everyone involved," says Paula Davis, president, Alcoa Foundation. "Our partnership with Keep America Beautiful's America Recycles Day is a perfect way to engage Americans, especially the next generation, in recycling."

To spread the word to students, for the first time ever, Alcoa is also sponsoring America Recycles Day recycling events at college football game tailgating parties in November. Participating schools receive a tailgating recycling starter kit that includes t-shirts, banners, buttons and 500 recycling bags.
 
To further capitalize on the enthusiasm of football fans, Alcoa Foundation also sponsors "Let's Tackle Recycling," a partnership at locations across the U.S. In Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Alcoa Foundation partners with the Pennsylvania Resources Council. The program has increased the rate of recycling at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh and Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia by giving recycling bags to football fans as they enter parking lots.

Aluminum is infinitely recyclable. It takes 95 percent less energy to recycle it than to manufacture new metal from scratch-making aluminum one of the most sustainable metals.

KNOXVILLE, TN – Alcoa volunteers ‘gathered by the river’ in late October to help spread the word about aluminum can recycling before the University of Tennessee vs. South Carolina college football game.

Building on the success of its “Let’s Tackle Recycling” program with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Alcoa volunteers talked about the importance of recycling to both tailgaters and “sailgaters” who were part of the storied “Vol Navy.”  The University of Tennessee is famous for its fleet of fans who boat up and down the Tennessee River to party before and after college football games.  Known as the “Vol Navy,” they are famous for big boats and big parties.

“Cans are the package of choice for boaters.  We want people to get in the habit of recycling wherever they’re using cans – at home, or away from home,” said Beth Schmitt, director of recycling programs for Alcoa.  “In particular, we know more cans are typically used at special events like tailgate parties or boat outings.  Reaching people in this environment is a good way to remind people to separate their beverage cans for recycling no matter where they are.” 

Alcoa volunteers gave boaters blue bags for beverage containers used before the game, and take-home bins for future use on the boat or at home.  Filled blue bags were collected for recycling just before game time.  The collection program was preceded by an informative email blast to members of the Vol Navy Boaters Association, and it supported the University of Tennessee’s “Game Day Recycling Challenge,” sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency. 

The aluminum industry saves 95 percent of the energy it takes to make aluminum from raw ore when it uses recycled material.  According to Alcoa, this energy value drives the demand for aluminum cans.  “We could recycle billions more cans if consumers were in the habit of recycling regularly,” said Schmitt.  “We want recycling to be as much a habit as wearing a seatbelt when you get into a car.”

Alcoa Volunteers Walt Brockway, Robin Brockway, Tim Reyes and Paige Rose prepare to distribute blue bags and bins to tailgaters and “sailgaters” among the Vol Navy.  The recycling promotion ended Knoxville and Tennessee Operations’ Month of Service with a promotion to encourage increased recycling away from home.