The Arlington, Virginia-based Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has announced a yearlong pilot program to help Nebraskan residents recycle their consumer electronics (CE).

CTA says recent results from its "Nebraska CE Recycling and Reuse Study" show that while recycling is important to a majority (87 percent) of Nebraskans, half (49 percent) of adults living in the state know where they can recycle electronics compared with a higher awareness (59 percent) nationwide.

The pilot program will offer a range of recycling opportunities to Nebraska's larger urban areas, as well as to its smaller communities. CE manufacturers and CTA member companies Best Buy Co., Dell, HP Inc., LG Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. and Vizio Inc. are funding the program.

At the end of 2017, CTA will analyze the results and produce a report summarizing the pilot process, deliverables and recommendations for future action.

"In response to Nebraskans' concerns about the availability and awareness of recycling opportunities for consumer electronics such as televisions and computers, the retail and technology industries have an excellent opportunity to increase public awareness and improve Nebraska's sustainability efforts," says Walter Alcorn, vice president, environmental affairs and industry sustainability, CTA. "Our industry is making great strides nationally in reducing e-waste and producing lighter, more efficient products, but we still have work to do in Nebraska. We want to ensure that industry solutions provide visible opportunities for consumers to recycle their old electronics of all shapes and sizes."
 
The consumer tech industry has been a leader in advancing responsible recycling, says CTA. In 2015, more than 700 million pounds of consumer electronics were recycled at 8,300 collection locations through the industry-led eCycling Leadership Initiative. 

A November 2016 report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures 2014," shows CEs have the fastest growing recycling rate of any product category in the United States.

Caitlin Sanchez of VIZIO adds, "Vizio fully supports the reuse, repurposing and ultimately the responsible recycling of Vizio consumer electronic products when they reach the end of their useful life. Vizio is pleased to partner with CTA on this important effort in Nebraska to ensure that Nebraskans have access to recycling options across the state."
 
To locate nearby electronics recycling sites, visit greenergadgets.org.

» Publication Date: 12/12/2016

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