SEI Receives National Award

NOTE: This post was written by SEI staff member Aida Sefic Williams.

The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) has received a pair of national environmental awards. Awards were received for the Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI) and by Dr. Tim Lindsey.

The 2010 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) awards presented by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) celebrate the successes of innovators in the areas of pollution prevention and sustainability. These prestigious awards were presented recently at a ceremony in Washington, DC. ISTC is a unit of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The MVP2 program award went to the SEI, a consortium dedicated to the development and implementation of a more sustainable system for designing, producing, and remanufacturing electronic devices. Members of the consortium include academia, non-profit organizations, government agencies, manufacturers, designers, refurbishers and recyclers. Specific elements of the SEI include programs for research, education, data management and technical assistance. SEI conducts collaborative research; facilitates networking and information exchange among participants; promotes technology diffusion via demonstration projects; and provides forums for the discussion of policy and legislation.

Electronic waste is a growing national problem. Americans own some 3 billion electronic products. As new products are purchased, unused products are stored or discarded at alarming rates. About two-thirds of these electronic devices removed from service were still in working order; only about 15% of this material is recycled while the rest is land filled. The existing system for managing E-waste is generally not sustainable; mechanisms for collecting, sorting, reuse, refurbishing, repairing, and remanufacturing are not well developed and/or implemented. Problems of obsolescence, collection, management, and marketing need to be addressed. These are the issues tackled by the SEI.

The SEI last year was partially funded by the EPA as part of the Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR) program.

Dr. Lindsey’s award was for being a P2 Champion. This award celebrates an individual whose work has an outstanding impact on implementing pollution prevention. Lindsey is the ISTC Associate Director and has headed the Technical Assistance Program since 1991. He supervises a staff of engineers and scientists that perform research and assist with implementation of innovative technologies that improve sustainability. Areas of focus for Dr. Lindsey’s program include: pollution prevention, green business, energy efficiency, alternative energy, carbon foot-printing, water foot-printing, environmental cost analysis, life cycle analysis, and systems engineering.

Lindsey has long been a P2 visionary. Processes and plans that he developed have become standard operational procedures for P2 professionals throughout the nation. He is best known for his pioneering work in developing Accelerated Diffusion of Pollution Prevention Technologies (ADOP²T), a model for technology diffusion that speeds the transfer of better environmental technologies and processes from the bench to the plant floor. Lindsey is the driving force behind the SEI. He also has been the leader in ISTC’s effort to promote and improve biofuels. As a strong believer in information diffusion, Lindsey has spearheaded seminars and information opportunities. In recent years, Lindsey has applied his expertise and passion to address sustainability problems in Haiti. He has worked with local farmers and non-government organizations to set up biodiesel processors and to train Haitians in producing a crop, processing it, and operating reactors to produce a quality fuel.

The 2010 MVP2 recipients represent a broad range of backgrounds, including federal government agencies, academia, industries, non-profits, and individuals that have demonstrated significant accomplishments in pollution prevention

Jeffrey Burke, Executive Director of NPPR, stated, “These organizations have clearly demonstrated that pollution prevention is beneficial to both the environment and the economy. They are being recognized for their leadership and commitment to promoting a sustainable future.” The MVP2 awards demonstrate how organizations can become more competitive, form partnerships, realize cost savings, and enhance environmental quality all at the same time.

For more information, please contact Bob Iverson.