Arlington, Va. — The consumer electronics industry set a new record in 2013 with the responsible recycling of 620 million pounds of electronics in the United States, more than double the total of three years ago, according to the “Third Annual Report of the eCycling Leadership Initiative,” released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
The initiative is an industry effort, led by CEA, to increase collaboration among CE manufacturers, retailers, collectors, recyclers, non-governmental organizations and governments at all levels, the organization said.
“We want to make recycling electronics as easy as purchasing electronics,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “Electronics recycling is a national issue, and CEA continues to work toward a national solution to replace the complicated patchwork of rules that varies from state to state.”
The 2013 U.S. e-cycling total is an increase of 35 million pounds over the 2012 level (585 million pounds) and more than twice the amount recycled in 2010 (300 million pounds).
The report also revealed:
*Apple, Best Buy, Dell and DirectTV set themselves apart as leaders, each recycling more than 125 percent of the consumer hardware recycling goals set by CEA for 2013;
*by the end of last year, more than 99 percent recycling by eCycling Leadership Initiative participants was conducted in third-party certified recycling facilities; and
*more than 8,000 responsible recycling locations are now available to consumers throughout the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
The eCycling Leadership Initiative includes a stretch goal to increase the amount of electronics recycled responsibly to 1 billion pounds annually by 2016, also known as the Billion Pound Challenge. Additionally, the group plans to grow the number of collection opportunities available to consumers, improve consumer awareness of available e-cycling collection sites and provide transparent metrics on e-cycling efforts.
“The eCycling Leadership Initiative participants and CEA have made great progress educating consumers about how and where to responsibly recycle their electronics,” said Walter Alcorn, environmental affairs and industry sustainability VP, CEA. “Through easy-to-use online tools and consumer-focused campaigns, more consumers are now aware of recycling opportunities available in their communities.”
CEA continues to enhance consumer education efforts about e-cycling and energy efficiency through the website GreenerGadgets.org.
For more on industry environmental initiatives, read the TWICE Earth Day Special Report, which appears in the April 21 print edition.