January 7, 2005—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded its first contracts to help all federal agencies in the environmentally responsible disposal of computers and other used electronic equipment. Called Government Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) for Recycling Electronics and Asset Disposition (READ) services, they provide federal agencies with a dependable method of properly recycling and disposing of excess or obsolete electronic equipment.
According to EPA, the US Government, which buys seven percent of the world’s computers, disposes of approximately 10,000 computers every week, a significant number of which are ending up in storage closets, warehouses, and landfills, or overseas. If the disposal of this electronic equipment is mishandled, toxic materials could be released into the environment, posing environmental hazards and potential liability concerns for federal facilities.
Eight contracts were awarded, with a combined potential value of up to $9 million. The contractors must maintain an audit trail to the equipment’s final destination to ensure that reclamation and recycling efforts are documented. The contracts will also maximize revenues from usable electronic equipment currently in storage; the contractors will share the savings from recycling efforts with federal agencies in order to offset the latter’s recycling costs.
EPA is also working to increase the number of consumer electronic devices collected and safely recycled in the United States under a program called “Plug-In To eCycling.” Plug-In is one component of EPA’s Resource Conservation Challenge, a national effort to find flexible, yet more protective ways to conserve the nation’s resources. For more information on how businesses can benefit from this program, visit EPA/Plug-In.
