Category: Local Government

Posted on

Reminder: Champaign County Electronics Recycling Event, April 12, 2014

Over on the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) Blog, I wrote a post about the FREE residential electronics collection event being hosted by Champaign County (IL) tomorrow (Saturday, April 12) from 8 AM to noon at Parkland College. Click here to read that post, which includes a list of acceptable and non-acceptable items, and a phone number to call with questions. If you’re not able to attend tomorrow’s event, check out the Champaign County Electronics Recycling Guide at http://www.co.champaign.il.us/county%20RRR/recycle/recycleelectronics.pdf. This document includes a list of local businesses and the electronic devices they accept for recycling year round.

If you’re outside Champaign County in IL, see the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s list of registered electronics collectors, recyclers, and refurbishers in Illinois at http://epadata.epa.state.il.us/land/eWaste/crr-list.asp to find businesses in your area. Check the company web sites of the electronics recyclers in your area to see who is certified as R2, e-stewards, or both, and if possible, use a certified recycler. Such recyclers have been assessed by independent third parties to verify that they are in compliance with a publicly available technical specification. For more information on certification, see http://www.sustainelectronics.illinois.edu/education/certification.cfm.

Alternatively, wherever you are located within the United States, you can visit the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER) website (http://www.electronicsrecycling.org/public/) and enter your zip code to find electronics take back and recycling programs in your area. The Sustainable Electronics Initiative also has a fact sheet listing many electronics take-back and donation options.

Posted on

Webinar: Introduction to the State Electronics Challenge

Find out how the State Electronics Challenge can help your organization meet its sustainability and stewardship goals.  The Challenge offers a simple, straightforward approach to greening your organization’s office equipment. The State Electronics Challenge helps public agencies, schools, colleges and universities implement sustainability and stewardship in their operations. The Challenge helps organizations that join the program—known as Partners—to buy green office equipment, use it efficiently and recycle it responsibly.  Partners get access to implementation tools, support and technical assistance, and receive an annual sustainability report that documents the impacts of the program on specific sustainability indicators.

To learn more about the State Electronics Challenge, register for an introductory webinar: March 14, 3 p.m. Eastern./2 p.m Central/Noon Pacific.

To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3635301347725787392

Posted on

Webinar: Electronics Recycling in Will County 2012

Join us for a webinar on Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CDT. This seminar will be hosted at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) in Champaign, IL, and simultaneously broadcast online. The presentation will be archived on the ISTC web site (see http://www.istc.illinois.edu/about/sustainability_seminars.cfm for more information and additional webinar archives).

Marta Keane, Recycling Program Specialist & Green Business Relations Coordinator for the Will County (IL) Land Use Department Resource Recovery & Energy Division, will present “Electronics Recycling in Will County 2012.” Register online for this webinar at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/792822047.

Abstract: Effective January 1, 2012, Illinois banned disposal of electronics in landfills. This presentation will describe Will County’s collection efforts before the mandatory ban, the county’s Front Door Electronic Service Program (a 3-year pilot program started April 2011), and steps taken to prepare for the ban. Results of these efforts thus far will be discussed as well as some remaining issues yet to be resolved. Examples of additional sustainability programs being conducted by Will County will also be described, including: efforts that resulted in receiving the Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award in 2012; household hazardous waste service; tire collection events; book reuse & recycling events; shoe collection/textile collection; medication collection; green building improvements; and the Landfill Gas-to-Energy project.

SEI, the Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR), and ISTC are hosting a series of seminars this fall focused on sustainable electronics research and issues. Watch the SEI calendar for upcoming seminar dates. You may contact Nancy Holm, SEI Research Coordinator, to be added to the mailing list to receive email notifications of upcoming seminars.