Recycling Efforts at the DFC
The power of recycling is significant. Consider that recycling a single aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for three hours. More than 80 trillion aluminum cans are used in the United States each year.
Recycling saves energy, reduces pollution, saves natural resources, and produces economical benefits. A growing area in recycling is in the electronics department. The federal government is the nation’s largest single consumer of electronics, purchasing about $85 billion of information technology annually, of which $14 billion is for equipment. In fiscal year 2011, the DFC has recycled more than 10 tons of ewaste. This is the equivalent to keeping 4,000 cars off of the road annually and saves 600 pounds of air pollution from our environment.
In 2003, GSA became an early partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Federal Electronics Challenge Program. In 2010, GSA developed a National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship that not only continues to focus on reusing all electronic devices for as long as possible, but to also dispose of Ewaste with recyclers that are both locally and globally responsible for the protection of the environment.
The Rocky Mountain Region GSA has been tracking the disposal of its electronics waste since 2006. Recycling vendors chosen for the management of these materials are not only required to be certified but to provide certifications of destruction for all materials accepted. GSA has worked with Lifespan Recycling, Metech Recycling and Unicor for all Ewaste disposal needs. Using local partners, we are able to positively impact the local economy by providing jobs and resources for the inmate rehabilitation programs with the Bureau of Prisons industries.
The regional electronics recycling program is an educational platform for both federal employees and the general public on how to properly manage their electronic wastes. This is accomplished through annual community electronics collection events and working with federal tenants to provide a uniform practice for diverting electronics from general facility wastes. For more information, view our short video.
