Part II: Should we Educate residents to hang onto their old analog TVs or Recycle them?
We’ve already discussed some of the implications of the “law of potentiality” with the FCC Mandated switch to Digital in our first article submitted with the details three weeks ago. Below is a list of WIN/WIN concepts that TV Manufacturers and the FCC will be able to claim if they embrace and execute our $20/$20 Vision funding idea for the first 14 months immediately prior to the switch (2 ½ months) and after the switch (11 ½ months):
1. The economy wins with the enormous creation of jobs in every State that “glass to glass” recycling plants would produce. Additionally it would undoubtedly create infinitely more jobs in the recycling of all e-waste such as printers, computers and consumer electronics.
2. The economy also wins with the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars from banks, and mezzanine lenders with the collateralization from accounts receivable that would be generated as a result. Also from the capitalization from Angel funding and venture capitalists who would finally be convinced that the E-
Waste industry is a viable industry worth investing in.
3. The US EPA wins because they will have a solution in place to jumpstart E-waste Recycling with Consumers which will morph into exponential rises in all forms of recycling.
4. The consumers win at the beginning of the digital transition because they don’t have to pay for recycling until 2010 and at the same time they can recycle FREE of charge for the next two years. And the recycling they do pay will come back to them down the road which makes this a “cost neutral” program.
5. The Special Interest Groups win because they have assisted in stopping a potential hazardous waste disaster with their public education programs and initiatives such as the Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition’s "TAKEBACK MY TV” Campaign.
6. The environment wins because it won’t be further deteriorated with land filling of TVs and electronics. The US as a nation can conserve on the much needed resources from electronics to be put back into manufacturing production and make millions of dollars instead of throwing millions of dollars into a hole to be buried forever with the combined hazardous waste substances present in all electronics, especially lead based glass items like TVs.
7. The TV Manufacturers win because they pay out of pocket ONLY 14 months and 10 days assuming we get the US EPA to pass federal legislation and mandate environmental fees to be paid by consumers at the time of purchase beginning with Feb 8th 2010.
8. Additionally, assuming the same as above, the TV Manufacturers and Retailers win because they will have one program to follow in 50 states, not 50 programs. It should also stop a lot of the arguments by TV Manufacturers for a “sales share” program versus a “recycling share” program versus a “return share” program. This is a proposed program for a short period of time for the TV Manufacturers and the FCC to fund.
9. The Recycling industry partnering with the Retailers and Waste Haulers win also because they will increase sales and therefore profits in the new growth category of TV recycling as well as the lucrative market of computer recycling which all 3 groups benefit monetarily from, especially the E-waste industry.
10.The Producers win on another front because they create their own incoming raw material product flow by buying back raw materials at discounted rates.
11. Finally the TV Manufacturers win with Brand perception which will be “very positive” due to the TV brands who participate taking the lead role in a TV Take Back campaign. By virtue of executing a Take Back program they will receive all the notoriety which comes with doing a “good thing” for the environment including FREE public announcements and word of mouth advertising and hereinafter be perceived as GREEN.
The State by State public announcement campaigns that will be going off like fire crackers everywhere in the nation to educate the Public on the FCC mandated digital switchover will tell US residents what to do with their old unwanted analog TVs at the end of 2008 continuing on forever.
Hopefully the outcomes will prove themselves worthy of 4.2% of HD TV Sales revenues ($1.8 billion) for the TV Manufacturers, worst case scenario; and $570 million for the FCC, (worst case scenario), during the 14 month suggested time frame. With a plan that promotes “win/win” for all parties involved, the TV Manufacturers will have proven with creative promotions they can show the US government their willingness to assist in minimizing what would otherwise be a potential HUGE solid waste and hazardous waste disaster over the next 2-8 years.
There is nothing easy about solving the legislative issues nationwide nor is there an easy solution that will fix everything about the E-waste problem overnight. But there are things that can be done now that will affect the entire chain of events to come and TV Manufacturers and the FCC are in the best position to affect them with a “win win” for everyone.
We believe US legislation on E-waste needs to become “federal” so that all the States follow the same rules. The US government and the e-waste industry can better “police” the system with audits as a unified front if we pass national legislation. And more importantly we need the national legislation in place to be assured that the job creation will stay in the US .
It should be made federal law that all lead based glass has to be recycled properly in the US before exporting the raw materials for two reasons:
To keep the jobs here in the US and to ensure that all lead based glass is disposed via a MANDATED method such as “glass to glass” (g2g) recycling which creates the most jobs and is the best method available to recycle lead based glass.
The two tier approach to the check cutting with the “check and balance” of the reporting by the g2g recycler and the retail stores or g2g recycler and the Solid Waste industry will ensure that local governments are NOT stepping on the toes of “businesses” processing TVs and monitors.
If we can have this type of funding cooperation from the TV Manufacturers and the FCC, coupled with US EPA imposing a mandatory environmental fee of $20, up front, with the purchase of every new TV, beginning with Feb 8th 2010, we will keep the industry competitive and keep the jobs in our country. We also believe it will work if it remains "cost nuetral" to the consumers.
It would also be much more powerful than Sony and Waste Management’s current Take Back program. Further it would be trackable to a success story immediately with the ease of reporting the number of units recycled monthly and a check and balance between the recycler’s reports and the retailers and solid waste agencies reports. The data from such a program would help the US to PASS federal legislation that would be appropriate after the initial funding of the first 14 months during the Digital transition by the TV Manufacturers ($20/ea.) and the FCC ($20/ea).
Once it's initially funded with TVs being the main item, the more lucrative electronics categories like computers can be recycled for FREE or for CASH offers by the Retailers in partnership with the Recyclers as well as the Waste Management Industry Haulers in partnership with Recyclers. This will create more profits for all parties by virtue of partnering with each other to take back TVs, Computers and Electronics.
If we can affect people’s behavior by getting them to recycle TVs then we might as well tag onto the collection of TVs, the collection of computers, monitors, printers and other consumer electronics currently stored in people’s basements attics and garages. Most of the computer recycling can be done for FREE due to the profitability at the “backend” after sorting and processing. This will catapult the E-waste Recycling Industry into the stellar force it should be to the US economy, and the environment.
The FCC event, given enough thought, easily elicits the conclusion that this is a ONE TIME Opportunity to solve a bigger problem, E-Waste, before 2010. With the help of the federal government who could interject positively by passing laws on how it’s managed, along with funding for the Solid Waste Industry Haulers for a period of time and funds from the TV Manufacturers for a period of time, the US Retail Industry, and the Solid Waste Industry partnered with Electronics Recyclers could swiftly take charge of this problem. Let’s use the FCC mandate and all of its “media” power to be part of the E-waste solution.
Should We Educate Consumers to Hang Onto Their TV or Recycle it?
Feb 17th 2008
By Linda McFarland
CEO/President
Classic Computer Recovery Inc.
Detroit MI
The countdown to the FCC mandated switch to digital broadcasting is 364 days away, Feb 17th 2009. No one knows how the US residential population will react with their old unwanted TVs. However, it is entirely within our power to control the residential reaction resulting in a WIN/WIN for all parties involved. Will the residential community hang onto them adding to the stock piled computers they have in their basements attics and garages? Or will they dispose of them at the curb in 45 non-legislated States where there are no land fill bans on lead based covered electronic devices (CED) such as TVs and computer monitors?
There is a notion and a suggestion going around the nation that we educate the public to hang onto their unwanted analog TVs? To keep them for further use down the road for a family member in need or to give them to non profit groups to be passed on to less fortunate families. Both situations will require a digital converter box for antenna based house holds or paid service connection to cable or satellite.
The problem with the above mentioned suggestion is that the TV Producers will quickly obsolete the analog TVs through creative marketing and advertising campaigns thereby creating more supply of the old analog TVs then demand for them even though they will be FREE.
It is entirely possible that the US will be sitting on 274 million “unused” analog TVs (according to the 2001 Census Track data) over the next 3-8 years. After all, it only took 8 years for the entire nation’s businesses and consumers to replace and buy the Flat screen LCD computer monitors. It is sure to be even less time for the new flat screen HD TVs with the advertising budgets the TV Producers already have in place for the digital transition.
As an astute fellow board member of the Michigan Recycling Coalition said to all of us in a string of e-mail dialogue on the Subject of the Digital Switch in Nov. of 2007, “ I think that some folks may see this as an opportunity to replace their analog TVs with digital, regardless of the options suggested. This is America after all, where consumerism is akin to national pride”.
Is it better to deal with the problem head on by being proactive now or to deal with it down the road when it has become another huge mountain of electronics stock piled with little to no solutions at pulling the TVs out to be recycled? It certainly won’t be because we couldn’t and wouldn’t try to make the same argument we’ve been making to the US population to RECYCLE . Unfortunately that has NOT worked to date, and without a bigger event to “jump start” it, we doubt it will get any better.
The FCC mandated switch to digital broadcasting has the “media power” which is free of charge and therefore the momentum behind the ability to educate the public on what to do with their old unwanted analog TVs. It also has the “law of potentiality” on its side.
If the FCC switch to digital is communicated correctly with all its myriad of messages and power, it could exponentially affect E-waste recycling nationwide. Not only would it solve the E-waste problem, it would be a HUGE upside potential for JOB CREATION. Additionally, it will invariably affect recycling of anything and everything nationwide.
To properly recycle TVs by themselves only produces sub-products and small amounts of raw materials which are negligible to offsetting the labor costs required to make TV/Monitor recycling a profitable business. This needs to become a profitable business in order to promote proper disposal/recycling of TVs and avoid the landfill/hazardous waste disaster that it also could become.
The right price to perform this service is $20 per TV which covers collection, hauling and processing. Assuming legislation won’t be in place in the majority of states at the time of the digital transition, Feb 17th, 2009, the plan we’ve outlined below is WIN/WIN for all parties involved.
First and foremost, it needs to be jump started with funding. Who should provide the funding? The correct and easy answer is the TV Producers and the FCC. WHY? Because they both stand to gain the most monetarily from the switch to digital estimated to be in the multi billions and therefore they will be the only groups that COULD and SHOULD fund the “jumpstart”. The TV industry will profit in the multi billions from sales of HD TV units and the FCC will do the same from selling (auctioning off) the analog spectrum to the wireless companies.
We are not saying they should fund the recycling of TVs indefinitely, but we are saying they should for a period of time beginning with the day after Thanksgiving Nov 28th 2008 lasting through the Super Bowl Sunday Feb 7th 2010 (14 months and 10 days). This time frame covers 2 years of the biggest selling seasons for TV Producers and Retailers which is always Christmas and Super Bowl Sunday.
The TV Producers should give the Retail stores who sell their TVs a $20 off credit for every HD TV a consumer buys who also brings in an old analog TV to recycle (any brand). It should NOT be the responsibility of the manufacturer of the brand being recycled but rather the TV Producer of brand being purchased. This eliminates the cumbersome, tedious tracking and sorting by brand for all parties involved, the biggest burden of which would be on the Recyclers.
This solution requires that the Retailers partner with the E-waste Recyclers of TVs ahead of time (similar to the way Waste Management and Sony are coming up with the 150 recycling centers nationwide for Sony’s Take Back program). Checks should rebated back monthly to the retailer for $20 who will then keep their portion of the proportional split (25%) of $20 for collecting the TVs on site =$5. The other 75% =$15 should go to the E-waste Recycler partner who will invoice the Retailer $15 for each TV for the “swap and drops” of trailer, the hauling, and the glass to glass recycling. The TV Producers should issue the check only after they receive both parties recycling reports for total units recycled monthly. The reports from the Retailer should itemize TV unit sales by brand monthly and the # of analog units recycled for $20 credits off each sales receipt totaled up by month for each store. Additionally the totals of analog TVs taken by the retailer should match the quantities of total units recycled by the Recyclers working in partnership with the Retailers on a month by month basis.
The check approval process should require that both the Recycler and the Retailer turn reports in simultaneously which will help keep a “check and balance” for TV Producers on the accuracy of data. NOTE: Recyclers must process the TVs in a manner called "glass to glass" recycling which follows the US EPA standards and recommendations. It is currently the only Green method available to handle lead based glass products in existence today.
If we do the math, the worst case scenario is that every single person recycles one analog TV in the 45 non-legislated states in exchange for $20 off the designated price of a purchase on a new HD TV. It is unlikely that 100% of the consumers who purchase a new HD TV will recycle an old one, but the TV producers need to plan for it as if that is the worst case scenario.
It has been estimated by industry experts that 86% of all Households will own at least one new HD TV between now and the end of 2009 largely because of the FCC mandated switch to Digital Broadcasting combined with TV Manufacturer advertising. There are 114 million Households in America therefore the market potential for TV Producers is an estimated 98 million units to be sold over the next two major selling seasons combining Christmas and Superbowl of both 2008, 2009 and 2009 and 2010 (coverage= 14 months total). And then many, many more units will be sold after that time period as American consumers replace all their old analog TVs with HD TVs.
This will cost the TV Producers a maximum estimated 90 million units x $20=$1.8 Billion dollars (worst case scenario) if you factor out the other 5 states who already have legislated E-waste programs (CA, WA, ME, MA, MN). This amount represents 4.2% of total revenues in a 14 month time frame. Consider the advertising mileage TV Producers will get from “word of mouth” and the public announcement campaigns that will occur as a result, FREE OF CHARGE, nationwide. One of the goals of this proposed solution is to help the entire TV Producer industry "step up" and account for the environmental problem that the TV industry's product obsolescence creates.
It’s very important that all the TV Producers, Retailers and CERC (Consumer Electronics Retailer Coalition) understand that they need to lobby and petition the US EPA for a nationwide environmental fee to be placed on all TV sales beginning with Feb 8th 2010 such that all consumers begin paying the recycling fees up front at the time of purchase with the Retailers. We believe this is the only successful path to take if the US wants to solve the E-waste problem nationally. The legislation would be similar to the car battery and the tire consumer purchase programs which have environmental fees added on to the receipt at the point of purchase. The only difference is that unlike the tire program, the TV recycling should end up Cost Neutral to the consumer in that they will get their $20 back when they turn the TV into a retailer 5-7-10 years from the time they purchase the unit. The retailer needs to give the consumer the $20 back on the spot as the consumer buys a new TV. They will get paid from the money that comes from “the recycling fund” that begins Feb 8th 2010 which should have plenty of money racked up for this as new TVs get purchased every month throughout a given year. Whatever governing body is responsible to disburse the funds will do so upon receiving matching reports from the retailer and the Recycler doing the processing of that Retailer’s TVs.
Many, many groups would help to make this a reality after the November 2008 Presidential election. It's never a good idea in American politics to propose legislation that makes consumers pay “another tax” which is how the environmental fees will be viewed by the American politicians who will "spin" the story into a controversial message to the American citizens for their political gain.
Although we believe Sony and Waste Management’s current TAKEBACK program is a good idea for the end of life product cycle; they will still have to deal with the challenges of sorting out Sony products ONLY, picked up from households in the special trucks that come around once a month to pick up household appliances or they will have to do one day collection events for SONY products. The special trucks will have to deliver the appliances to the designated recycling centers to be processed separately which bring on a host of new challenges if all the TV Producers were to make a similar deal with the Solid Waste Industry nationwide.
A better idea for residents who do not purchase a new HD TV between Nov 28th 2008 and Feb 7th 2010 and/or for those who don’t take advantage of the $20 credit with a new purchase to recycle an old TV is to allow them to recycle their TVs curbside for FREE. Households should be able to recycle their unwanted TVs for FREE at the Curb for the exact same time frame as the TV producers run their programs under the auspices that the TVs will be recycled NOT land filled. As we all know, residents in 45 non-legislated states can do this now for FREE, but their TVs will automatically go to a landfill because haulers will not separate the TVs out of the solid waste stream unless they are paid to perform that service. The service costs money; therefore they can’t afford to do it for free.
The FCC needs to fund this program the same way as the TV producers do however in this instance the Waste Hauler gets the same proportional split for collecting the TVs which is $5 and the Recycling Processor gets 75% or $15. However the FCC should cut the checks separately to avoid the current situations going on in CA and other legislated E-waste land-fill ban States whereby municipalities (collectors) are taking all the fees and not giving the E-waste to the processors to process and instead are taking it upon themselves to dispose of it with whom they feel they can which generates the most money (profits) for them. After all, since when is it ok for the government to undermine business anymore so than the arguments for all of us not to use prison labor?
It should be made federal law that all lead based glass has to be disposed of in the US for two reasons:
To keep the jobs here in the US and to ensure that all lead based glass is disposed via an authorized lead based glass processor performing glass to glass recycling. This will ensure that government isn’t stepping on the toes of “businesses” processing of the TVs via the “glass to glass” recycling method.
The current best guesstimate is 1 in 4 households will recycle one TV (the average Household has 2.4 TVs in use in their homes according to the census track data). Or said another way, 10% of the analog TVs in households will be set out at the curb in the first 14 months immediately preceding the FCC deadline and 10% more the year following the FCC mandate. IF WE DO THE MATH: 1 in 4 households recycling one TV at the curb will produce 28.5 million TVs in one years time plus a little additional for the extra two months. This will cost the FCC $20 x 28.5 million units = $570 million. In the event that it runs over 570 million then the TV manufacturers will have to make up the difference because it will be indicative that more people put there old analog TVs out at the curb due to the convenience as opposed to lugging it to a retail store to get their $20 off. Either way, it should be noted that between the retail industry collecting at the point of purchase and the Solid Waste industry collecting them at the curb the total numbers should not exceed 570 million by the FCC and 1.8 billion by the TV Producers.
If this were to happen it would mean that the United States was successful in accomplishing getting 43% of all the analog TVs in existences to come out of peoples houses for recycling within the first 14 months with two 2 ½ months prior to the FCC switch and 11 ½ months after the switch. It’s possible but statistically improbable.
The 570 million for the FCC is nothing more than raising the money through 3 large Mega Millions lotteries. More appropriately, it should be raised from a portion of the funds the FCC will receive from the sales (auction) of the analog spectrum to the wireless companies. Either way, it’s affordable, and it’s a way to fund the “jumpstart” of recycling the-soon-to-be obsolete analog TVs.
Although we’ve already discussed some of the implications of the “law of potentiality” with the FCC Mandated switch to Digital, below is a list of WIN/WIN concepts that TV Producers and the FCC will be able to claim if they embrace and execute our idea:
1. The economy wins with the enormous creation of jobs in every State that “glass to glass recycling plants would produce. Additionally it would undoubtedly create infinitely more jobs in the recycling of all e-waste such as printers, computers and consumer electronics.
2. The economy also wins with the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars from banks, and mezzanine lenders with the collateralization from accounts receivable that would be generated as a result. Also from the capitalization from Angel funding and venture capitalists who would finally be convinced that the E- Waste industry is a viable industry worth investing in.
3. The US EPA wins because they will have a solution in place to jumpstart E-waste Recycling with Consumers which will morph into exponential rises in all forms of recycling.
4. The consumers win at the beginning of the digital transition because they don’t have to pay for recycling until 2010 and at the same time they can recycle FREE of charge for the next two years. And the recycling they do pay will come back to them down the road which makes this a “cost neutral” program.
5. The Special Interest Groups win because they have assisted in stopping a potential hazardous waste disaster with their public education programs and initiatives such as the Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition’s “TAKEBACK MY TV” Campaign.
6. The environment wins because it won’t be further deteriorated with land filling of TVs and electronics . The US as a nation can conserve on the much needed resources from electronics to be put back into manufacturing production and make millions of dollars instead of throwing millions of dollars into a hole to be buried forever with the combined hazardous waste substances present in all electronics, especially lead based glass items like TVs.
7. The TV Producers win because they pay out of pocket ONLY 14 months and 10 days assuming we get the US EPA to pass federal legislation and mandate environmental fees to be paid by consumers at the time of purchase beginning with Feb 8th 2010.
8. Additionally, assuming the same as above, the TV producers and Retailers win because they will have one program to follow in 50 states, not 50 programs. It should also stop a lot of the arguments by TV Producers for a “sales share” program versus a “recycling share” program versus a “return share” program. This is a proposed program for a short period of time for the TV Producers and the FCC to fund.
9. The Recycling industry partnering with the Retailers and Waste Haulers win also because they will increase sales and therefore profits in the new growth category of TV recycling as well as the lucrative market of computer recycling which all 3 groups benefit monetarily from, especially the E-waste industry.
10 The Producers win on another front because they create their own incoming raw material product flow by buying back raw materials at discounted rates.
11. Finally the TV producers win with Brand perception which will be “very positive” due to the TV Brands who participate taking the lead role in a TV Take Back campaign. By virtue of executing a Take Back program they will receive all the notoriety which comes with doing a “good thing” for the environment including FREE public announcements and word of mouth advertising and hereinafter be perceived as GREEN.
The State by State public announcement campaigns that will be going off like fire crackers everywhere in the nation to educate the Public on the FCC mandated digital switchover will tell US residents what to do with their old unwanted analog TVs at the end of 2008 continuing on forever.
Hopefully the outcomes will prove themselves and be worth infinitely more than 4.2% of revenues or the worst case scenarios $1.8 billion for the TV Producers and $570 million for the FCC during the 14 month suggested time frame. With a plan that promotes “win/win” for all parties involved, the TV Producers will have proven with creative promotions they can show the US government their willingness to assist in minimizing what would otherwise be a potential HUGE solid waste and hazardous waste disaster over the next 2-8 years.
There is nothing easy about solving the legislative issues nationwide nor is there an easy solution that will fix everything about the E-waste problem overnight. But there are things that can be done now that will affect the entire chain of events to come and TV Producers and the FCC are in the best position to affect them with a “win win” for everyone.
We believe US legislation on E-waste needs to become “federal” so that all the States follow the same rules. The US government and the e-waste industry can better “police” the system with audits as a unified front if we pass national legislation. And more importantly we need the national legislation in place to be assured that the job creation will stay in the US.
If we can have this type of funding cooperation from the TV producers and the FCC, coupled with US EPA legislating a mandatory environmental fee of $20, up front, with the purchase of every new TV, beginning with Feb 8th 2010, we will keep the industry competitive and keep the jobs in our country.
It would also be much more powerful than Sony and Waste Management’s current Take Back program. Further it would be track-able to a success story immediately with the ease of reporting the number of units recycled monthly and a check and balance between the recycler’s reports and the retailers and solid waste agencies reports. By the end of 2009, the data from such a program would help the US to PASS federal legislation that would be appropriate after the initial funding of the first 14 months during the Digital transition by the TV Producers and the FCC.
Once it's initially funded with TVs being the main item, the more lucrative electronics categories like computers can be recycled for FREE or for CASH offers by the Retailers in partnership with the Recyclers as well as the all the Waste Management Industry Haulers in partnership with Recyclers. This will create more profits for all parties by virtue of partnering with each other to take back TVs, Computers and Electronics.
If we can affect people’s behavior by getting them to recycle TVs then we might as well tag onto the collection of TVs, the collection of computers, monitors, printers and other consumer electronics currently stored in people’s basements attics and garages. Most of the computer recycling can be done for FREE due to the profitability at the “backend” after sorting and processing. This will catapult the E-waste Recycling Industry into the stellar force it should be to the US economy, and the environment.
The FCC event, given enough thought, easily elicits the conclusion that this is a ONE TIME Opportunity to solve a bigger problem, E-Waste, before 2010. With the help of the federal government who could interject positively by passing laws on how it’s managed, along with funding for the Solid Waste Industry Haulers for a period of time and funds from the TV Producers for a period of time, the US Retail Industry, and the Solid Waste Industry partnered with Electronics Recyclers could swiftly take charge of this problem.
Let’s not let this once-in-lifetime opportunity to solve our own industry’s problems pass us by. Use the FCC mandate and all of its “media” power to be part of the E-waste solution.
Should we educate households to keep their old analog TVs or Recycle them?
The countdown to the FCC mandated switch to digital broadcasting is 364 days away, Feb 17th 2009. No one knows how the US residential population will react with their old unwanted TVs. However, it is entirely within our power to control the residential reaction resulting in a WIN/WIN for all parties involved. Will the residential community hang onto them adding to the stock piled computers they have in their basements attics and garages? Or will they dispose of them at the curb in 45 non-legislated States where there are no land fill bans on lead based covered electronic devices (CED) such as TVs and computer monitors?
There is a notion and a suggestion going around the nation that we educate the public to hang onto their unwanted analog TVs? To keep them for further use down the road for a family member in need or to give them to non profit groups to be passed on to less fortunate families. Both situations will require a digital converter box for antenna based house holds or paid service connection to cable or satellite.
The problem with the above mentioned suggestion is that the TV Producers will quickly obsolete the analog TVs through creative marketing and advertising campaigns thereby creating more supply of the old analog TVs then demand for them even though they will be FREE.
It is entirely possible that the US will be sitting on 274 million “unused” analog TVs (according to the 2001 Census Track data) over the next 3-8 years. After all, it only took 8 years for the entire nation’s businesses and consumers to replace and buy the Flat screen LCD computer monitors. It is sure to be even less time for the new flat screen HD TVs with the advertising budgets the TV Producers already have in place for the digital transition.
As an astute fellow board member of the Michigan Recycling Coalition said to all of us in a string of e-mail dialogue on the Subject of the Digital Switch in Nov. of 2007, “ I think that some folks may see this as an opportunity to replace their analog TVs with digital, regardless of the options suggested. This is America after all, where consumerism is akin to national pride”.
Is it better to deal with the problem head on by being proactive now or to deal with it down the road when it has become another huge mountain of electronics stock piled with little to no solutions at pulling the TVs out to be recycled? It certainly won’t be because we couldn’t and wouldn’t try to make the same argument we’ve been making to the US population to RECYCLE . Unfortunately that has NOT worked to date, and without a bigger event to “jump start” it, we doubt it will get any better.
The FCC mandated switch to digital broadcasting has the “media power” which is free of charge and therefore the momentum behind the ability to educate the public on what to do with their old unwanted analog TVs. It also has the “law of potentiality” on its side.
If the FCC switch to digital is communicated correctly with all its myriad of messages and power, it could exponentially effect E-waste recycling nationwide. Not only would it solve the E-waste problem , it would be a HUGE upside potential for JOB CREATION. Additionally, it will invariably affect recycling of anything and everything nationwide.
To properly recycle TVs by themselves only produces sub-products and small amounts of raw materials which are negligible to offsetting the labor costs required to make TV/Monitor recycling a profitable business. This needs to become a profitable business in order to promote proper disposal/recycling of TVs and avoid the landfill/hazardous waste disaster that it also could become.
The right price to perform this service is $20 per TV which covers collection, hauling and processing. Assuming legislation won’t be in place in the majority of states at the time of the digital transition, Feb 17th, 2009, the plan we’ve outlined below is WIN/WIN for all parties involved.
First and foremost, it needs to be jump started with funding. Who should provide the funding? The correct and easy answer is the TV Producers and the FCC. WHY? Because they both stand to gain the most monetarily from the switch to digital estimated to be in the multi billions and therefore they will be the only groups that COULD and SHOULD fund the “jumpstart”. The TV industry will profit in the multi billions from sales of HD TV units and the FCC will do the same from selling the analog spectrum to the wireless companies.
We are not saying they should fund the recycling of TVs indefinitely, but we are saying they should for a period of time beginning with the day after Thanksgiving Nov 28th 2008 lasting through the Super Bowl Sunday Feb 7th 2010 (14 months and 10 days). This time frame covers 2 years of the biggest selling seasons for TV Producers and Retailers which is always Christmas and Super Bowl Sunday.
The TV Producers should give the Retail stores who sell their TVs a $20 off credit for every HD TV a consumer buys who also brings in an old analog TV to recycle (any brand). It should NOT be the responsibility of the manufacturer of the brand being recycled but rather the TV Producer of brand being purchased. This eliminates the cumbersome, tedious tracking and sorting by brand for all parties involved, the biggest burden of which would be on the Recyclers.
This solution requires that the Retailers partner with the E-waste Recyclers of TVs ahead of time (similar to the way Waste Management and Sony are coming up with the 150 recycling centers nationwide for Sony’s TakeBack program). Checks should rebated back monthly for the $20 to both the Retailers and the E-waste Recycler partners at the same time upon the TV Producers receiving both parties recycling reports for total units recycled monthly. The reports should itemize TV unit sales by brand monthly and the # of analog units recycled for $20 credits off each sales receipt totaled up by month for each store. Additionally those same figures should match the quantities of total units recycled by the Recyclers working in partnership with the Retailers on a month by month basis.
The check approval process should require that both the Recycler and the Retailer turn reports in simultaneously which will help keep a “check and balance” for TV Producers on accuracy of data. The check will be split with 25% going to the Retailer for collecting the old analog TVs on their Retail property and 75% will go to the Recycler/Processor to do the trailer drops at the Retailers sites for accumulation and storage of TVs and the hauling of the full trailers back to their facilities. Additionally it will cover the costs of the Recyclers to process the TVs in a manner called "glass to glass" recycling which follows the US EPA standards and recommendations. It is currently the only Green method available to handle lead based glass products in existence today.
If we do the math, the worst case scenario is that every single person recycles one analog TV in the 45 non-legislated states in exchange for $20 off the designated price of a purchase on a new HD TV. It is unlikely that 100% of the consumers who purchase a new HD TV will recycle and old one, but the TV producers need to plan for it as if it will happen.
It has been estimated by industry experts that 86% of all Households will own at least one new HD TV between now and the end of 2009 largely because of the FCC mandated switch to Digital Broadcasting combined with TV Manufacturer advertising. There are 114 million Households in America therefore the market potential for TV Producers is an estimated 98 million units to be sold over the next two years. And then many, many more units will be sold after that time period as American consumers replace all their old analog TVs with HD TVs.
This will cost the TV Producers a maximum estimated 90 million units x $20=$1.8 Billion dollars (worst case scenario), if you factor out the other 5 states who already have legislated E-waste programs (CA, WA, ME, MA, MN). The amount represents 4.2% of total revenues in a 14 month time frame. Consider the advertising mileage TV Producers will get from “word of mouth” and the public announcement campaigns that will occur as a result, FREE of charge, nationwide. One of the goals of this proposed solution is to help the entire TV Producer industry "step up" and account for the environmental problem that the TV industry's product obsolescence creates.
It’s very important that all the TV Producers, Retailers and CERC (Consumer Electronics Recycling Coalition) understand that they need to lobby and petition the US EPA for a nationwide environmental fee to be placed on all TV sales beginning with Feb 8th 2010 such that all consumers begin paying the recycling fees up front at the time of purchase with the Retailers. We believe this is the only successful path to take if the US wants to solve the E-waste problem nationally. The legislation would be similar to the car battery and the tire consumer purchase programs which have environmental fees added on to the receipt at the point of purchase.
Many, many groups would help to make this a reality after the November 2008 Presidential election. It's never a good idea in American politics to propose legislation that makes consumers pay “another tax” which is how the environmental fees will be viewed by the American politicians who will "spin" the story into a controversial message to the American citizens for their political gain.
Although we believe Sony and Waste Management’s current TAKEBACK program is a good idea for the end of life product cycle; they will still have to deal with the challenges of sorting out Sony products ONLY, picked up from households in the special trucks that come around once a month to pick up household appliances. The special trucks will have to deliver the appliances to the designated recycling centers to be processed separately which bring on a host of new challenges if all the TV Producers were to make a similar deal with the Solid Waste Industry nationwide.
A better idea for residents who do not purchase a new HD TV between Nov 28th 2008 and Feb 7th 2010 and/or for those who don’t take advantage of the $20 credit with a new purchase to recycle an old TV is to allow them to recycle their TVs curbside for FREE. Households should be able to recycle their unwanted TVs for FREE at the Curb for the exact same time frame as the TV producers run their programs under the auspices that the TVs will be recycled NOT land filled. As we all know, residents in 45 non-legislated states can do this now, but their TVs will automatically go to a landfill because haulers will not separate the TVs out of the solid waste stream unless they are paid to perform that service. The service costs money; therefore they can’t afford to do it for free.
The FCC needs to fund this program the same way as the TV producers do with a $20 payment to the Waste Hauler and their designated Recycling partners of choice. The same split should be afforded whereby the haulers get $5 for each TV recycled and collected by them (25% of the $20) and the Recycler gets $15 (75% of the fee ) for the trailer drops and swaps, the hauling, and processing of the TVs via the “glass to glass” recycling method.
The current best guesstimate is 1 in 4 households will recycle one TV. Or said another way, 10% of the analog TVs in households will be set out at the curb in the first 14 months immediately preceding the FCC deadline and 10% more the year following the FCC mandate. IF WE DO THE MATH: 1 in 4 households recycling one TV at the curb will produce 28.5 million TVs per season which will cost the FCC $20 x 28.5 million units x 2 seasons (Christmas and Super Bowl 2008/2009 and 2009/2010) = $570 million.
This amount is nothing more than raising the money through 3 Mega Millions lotteries. More appropriately, it should be raised from a portion of the funds the FCC will receive from the sales of the analog spectrum to the wireless companies. Either way, it’s affordable, and it’s a way to fund the “jumpstart” of recycling the-soon-to-be obsolete analog TVs. Stay tuned for more information on this subject coming soon.
Computer/Electronics Collection for America Recycles Day in Partnership with Vernon Township
November 9, 2007
Contact: Tracy Gastfield / Vernon Township – Buffalo Grove, IL 847-634-4600 - www.vernontownship.com, 3050 N. Main Street –administrative desk – Buffalo Grove, IL 60089, Hours: – 9am- 4pm, Nov 19-30
Get involved in computer recycling and celebrate America Recycles Day! Vernon Township has partnered with Classic Computer Recovery, Inc. to host a drop off location in Buffalo Grove, IL. This site will allow residents as well as small businesses the opportunity to dispose of their computer electronics in an environmentally friendly manner. Typically there is a small charge for this service but in honor of America Recycles Day, it is FREE to dispose of PC’s, monitors, notebooks, all computer components and printers on November 19th through November 30th. CCR has also been busy spreading the word about the upcoming FCC TV switch in 2009 and the abundance of televisions that will be entering the waste stream in the next 2-3 years. Televisions are not accepted for recycling for this promotion but are accepted at CCR warehouse for a small fee. CCR specializes in electronic recycling and is capable of recycling over 95% of the materials and components listed above at their location in Garden City, Michigan. Electronic equipment, especially computers, printers and monitors quickly become outdated. Consequently, many of these items end up in landfills. While this type of electronic equipment is not banned from landfills, the components often contain materials that are hazardous to human health. For this reason, Vernon Township and CCR encourage residents to properly dispose of electronic waste at this collection facility. For more information regarding this collection facility, please contact Tracy Gastfield at the above number. For more information about CCR’s other collection facilities in the State of IL or MI or for a school pick up, please contact Laura Charnota at 734-732-1784 or <Email Laura>.
Computer/Electronics Collection for America Recycles Day in Partnership with RRRASOC
November 9, 2007
Contact: Mike Csapo or Rachel Pitt/ RRRASOC/ Southwest Oakland County, 248-208-2270 – www.rrrasoc.org, 20000 W. Eight Mile Road, Southfield, MI 49075, Hours: 24 hours a day/ Nov 15th - Nov 30th
Get involved in computer recycling and celebrate America Recycles Day! RRRASOC, Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County, has partnered with Classic Computer Recovery, Inc. to host a drop off location in Southfield, Michigan. This site will allow residents as well as small businesses the opportunity to dispose of their computer electronics for FREE in an environmentally friendly manner. CCR has also been busy spreading the word about the upcoming FCC TV switch in 2009 and the abundance of televisions that will be entering the waste stream in the next 2-3 years. CCR encourages all municipalities to create a permanent drop off for all E-waste & televisions. CCR has several PDO programs available to cities, counties and solid waste agencies in the Midwest. Televisions are not accepted for recycling for this promotion but are accepted at the CCR warehouses for a small fee. CCR specializes in electronic recycling and is capable of recycling over 95% of the materials and components listed above at their location in Garden City, Michigan. Electronic equipment, especially computers, printers and monitors quickly become outdated. Consequently, many of these items end up in landfills. While this type of electronic equipment is not banned from landfills, the components often contain materials that are hazardous to human health. For this reason, RRRASOC and CCR encourage residents to properly dispose of electronic waste at this collection facility. For more information regarding this collection facility, please contact Rachel Pitt at the above number. For more information about CCR’s other collection facilities in the State of Illinois or Michigan or for a school pick up, please contact Laura Charnota at 734-732-1784 or <Email Laura>.
Computer/Electronics Collection for America Recycles Day in Partnership with Monroe County and Habitat for Humanity ReStore
November 9, 2007
Contact: Jamie Dean – Monroe County Health Dept – www.co.monroe.mi.us, 734-240-7909, Kirstin Doyle – Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 734-243-1108, 840 LaPlaisance Road, Monroe, MI 48161, Hours: Mon – Sat 9am-5pm
Get involved in computer recycling and celebrate America Recycles
Day! Monroe County and Habitat for Humanity ReStore have partnered
with Classic Computer Recovery, Inc. to host a drop off location in
Monroe, MI. This site will allow residents the opportunity to
dispose of their computer electronics in an environmentally friendly
manner. Typically there is no charge for this service. Electronic
equipment, especially computers, printers and monitors quickly
become outdated. Consequently, many of these items end up in
landfills. While this type of electronic equipment is not banned
from landfills, the components often contain materials that are
hazardous to human health. For this reason, Monroe County/ Habitat
for Humanity ReStore and CCR encourage residents to properly dispose
of electronic waste at this collection facility. For more
information regarding this collection facility, please contact
Kirstin Doyle at the above number. For more information about CCR’s
other collection facilities in the State of IL or MI or for a school
pick up, please contact Laura Charnota at 734-732-1784 or
<Email Laura>.
The TV Storm is Coming...Is America Ready?
By Linda McFarland
Linda McFarland is the chief executive officer and founder of Classic Computer Recovery Inc. She can be contacted at lindam@classiccomputerrecovery.com.
The FCC switching the TV signal from analog to digital on February 17th, 2009 is a “ONE TIME” opportunity to solve a bigger problem, E-waste.
It is a widely known fact in the electronics recycling industry that residents and small business’s have been collectively stockpiling millions of computers, monitors, printers TVs and other related electronic devices in their basements, attics, garages, closets and storage facilities. Both private sector and public sector businesses have not been effective in getting people to pull these items out of storage and recycle them. That poses another possibility; residents may have the opportunity to throw their collective millions of units away in their weekly garbage with their local garbage hauler if no other better solution exists by the time the FCC mandate on TVs is in effect.
If this happens the problem will be a huge logistics nightmare mixed with an even larger environmental hazard disaster. The facts are that televisions and computer monitors contain large amounts of lead and other toxic elements. [see CCR’s website under the TV Storm for the color coded chart on the amount of lead and other toxins in TVs broken down by hazardous chemicals by weight by truck load classiccomputerrecovery.com].
The average computer monitors has 4 lbs of lead and TVs have at least twice that much. The US Environmental Protections Agency calls E-waste the leading contributor of lead to municipal waste stream* [Basel Action Network-Toxic Trade News-Nov 29th 2006]
If lead decomposes over the next 50-80 years and leeches into our water system, we will be leaving our children, and grand children with an overwhelming environmental clean up. Further, there will be untold consequences of lead poisoning in human bodies and animals if this happens. (see press release Toxic trade news on CCR’s website under TV Storm).
We need to come up with a solution to avert this potential solid
waste stream disaster with televisions. Therefore we need the
cooperation of all the industry stakeholders in order to avert this
potential disaster. The stakeholders group consists of the Solid
Waste Industry who by default, will be expected to take all the
disposed TVs curbside. Another stakeholder is the mass merchandisers
and retailers who are going to sell the new HDTVs and could easily
take one back for recycling with every purchase of a new one. The
E-waste Recyclers are the third stakeholder who needs to partner
with both groups mentioned to be part of the solution. Finally it
includes the federal government and the special interest groups who
help educate the public and protect the earth and it’s resources.
Assuming we are able to come up with a solution collectively between all the stakeholder groups, we can affect people’s behavior by getting them to recycle TVs. Since we can take advantage of that opportunity we might as well take it one step farther and get the US residential population to also recycle computers, monitors, printers and other consumer electronics. It’s is going to become a GIANT FREE public service announcement campaign, why not?
If this can be accomplished it will catapult the E-waste Recycling Industry into the economic and environmental force it should be today which ultimately affects the solid waste industry in numerous positive ways.
The Solid Waste Industry needs to ride on the FCC’s coat tails and not let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to solve the E-waste problem in the United States pass them by. .
Linda McFarland, CEO and Founder, Classic Computer Recovery Inc. (Detroit MI)
"America Recycles Day" Recycling Event a Success Once Again
November 2006
America Recycles Day – CCR, Inc. has once again partnered with residents, Public Schools, and Municipalities from November 15th – November 30th to hold FREE computer recycling events and collect used computer equipment. We had another successful year and CCR, Inc. collected 267,290 lbs or the equivalent of 133 tons of computer equipment.
CCR Wins Northwestern University Contract
November 2006
Classic Computer Recovery Inc. (CCR), a Michigan based minority and woman owned computer and electronics recycling company, won a 2 year contract with 3 one-year options for extension in November 2006 with Northwestern University in Illinois. The contract is for the removal and recycling of retired IT/computers and related electronic equipment for the Evanston and Chicago campuses.
CCR represented the best value to the University and a Preferred Vendor Contract will be established for use by various departments and schools associated with Northwestern University. CCR will provide IT surplus recovery services for computer and electronic devices including desktops, notebooks, servers, storage devices, networking devices, monitors, printers, projectors, miscellaneous electronic equipment, and other computer peripherals.
CCR is proud to be serving this Chicago area Ivy League school.
CCR Receives "2006 Recycler of the Year" Award at MRC Annual Conference
May 2006
In May 2006, CCR received an award at the Michigan Recycling Coalition's Annual Conference for "2006 Recycler of the Year" in the Outstanding Private Recycling Program Category.
CCR Awarded One Year Extension on State of Michigan Computer Recycling Contract
November 2006
Classic Computer Recovery Inc. (CCR) was awarded the first ever one year extension on the State of Michigan computer recycling and e-waste contract won in November 2005. The contract is to provide for the removal and recycling of retired IT/computers and related electronic equipment for ALL government branch offices in the State of Michigan. CCR will be responsible for recovering desktops, notebooks, servers, storage devices, networking devices, monitors, printers, projectors, miscellaneous electronic equipment, and other computer peripherals. As a recognized "best practices" computer recycler, CCR "proposed" the most cost effective, environmentally safe, data secure, and job producing solution of all participating bidders in 2005. CCR continually stepped up to the plate during the first year of Michigan's first ever Computer Recycling contract.
During Dec. 2005- Nov 2006, environmental laws and regulations came to light which caused CCR to implement and expedite new process and procedures to accommodate the State of Michigan. CCR has set up multiple partnerships with public sector agencies, municipalities, and county's within the state of Michigan to develop low cost solutions for e-waste. Additionally, CCR has two fully-functional warehouses in the metro Detroit and Lansing areas. Their Garden City warehouse is used largely for unsecure computer products and related peripherals such as monitors, TVs', consumer e-waste, printers and component parts. Lansing is used primarily for secure and semi secure items such as Computers , Notebooks, and PDAs containing hard drives, cd-roms and tape drives where information is stored. CCR looks forward to the continued partnership with the State of Michigan in order to improve the environment while adding jobs to the sagging economy as well.
CCR Passes State of Michigan Security Audit
November 2006
As part of the State of Michigan contract, Classic Computer Recovery Inc. (CCR) recently underwent and passed a security audit required by the State through Michigan's Department of Enterprise Security and two auditors associated with the Department of Management and Budget and the Department of Information Technology. The State's audit verifies the safety of data contained on hard drives and media recycled through CCR that have data destruction requirements.
All drives and media with data destruction requirements are wiped according to the Department of Defense 5200.28-STD directive. This procedure makes recovery of any sensitive data impossible. Hard drives that fail the DOD wipe process have all of the platters physically destroyed.
The entire process is tracked via serial number of the computer, notebook, or PDA device and is then linked to the hard drive or media serial number in the unit.
CCR has invested a lot of time and effort , as well as money into being able to accomplish this very important service for our customers. We are pleased to be able protect our customers data in the most effective way possible.
A State says makers must pay for recycling
March 25, 2006
LOGGING OFF FOR GOOD: Southfield center will dispose of hard drives, monitors, mice and more safely
March 31, 2006
Oakland County BY HUGH McDIARMID JR. FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
"It 's kind of embarrassing, it's so old," said Kay Shaw of Detroit of the 1984 Apple she stored in her basement because she didn't feel right throwing it out with her garbage. There are dozens of toxics in computers. (PATRICIA BECK/DFP) Joyce McFarlane hung on to her old computer monitor and keyboard for four years. Kay Shaw kept her ancient Apple computer in the basement "forever." Both women finally unloaded the relics Monday at metro Detroit's first 24-hour, 7-day-a-week drop-off station for old computer equipment. Their patience ensured that dozens of different toxic substances -- from chunks of lead to poisonous mercury -- will be safely disposed of or recycled. "It's hazardous waste, so, honestly, I'm so thankful for this," said Shaw, referring to the drop-off site at 8 Mile and Evergreen roads in Southfield. Nearly one ton of old equipment per week has been left inside the walk-in trailer since it opened March 1, said Mike Csapo, general manager of the site's operator, the Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County. The authority serves eight Oakland communities, but the computer drop-off is open to any person or small business willing to do the right thing with their obsolete monitors, mice, keyboards and more. The materials are collected by Classic Computer Recycling of Garden City. Usable components are refurbished and resold. Broken or obsolete equipment is recycled to recover raw materials. Csapo said the collection spot is the first of its kind in the region. Other recycling consortiums accept computer equipment by appointment, or at special events -- but the convenience of the 24-hour site is unmatched. It gives authority employees an easy answer to the constant calls from residents begging for something easy and ethical to do with their outdated computers. "We get an awful lot of 'no kidding?' from people when we tell them about this," Csapo said Monday, while sorting the weekend's haul of computer monitors. McFarlane and friend Natalie McIntyre, both of Madison Heights, said they couldn't just put their computer equipment in the trash, even though that's legal. "I thought it would be good if it were recycled," said McIntyre, 74. Shaw, 57, of Detroit said she also was waiting to find a convenient way to dispose of her 1984 Apple -- a retro-looking unit with a tiny screen that defines the word obsolete. "It's pretty old, it's kind of embarrassing it's so old," said Shaw as she lowered the clunker to the bottom of a huge cardboard box. The drop-off site is a relief valve for vast caches of computer junk lurking in basements and garages across metro Detroit. Nationally, about 50 million computers are retired from U.S. households and businesses each year. Many end up in landfills, where dangerous toxics can potentially pollute groundwater if they are not contained. Lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, nickel, zinc and flame retardants are among the dozens of toxic components of a typically computer and monitor. For more information, contact the authority at 248-208-2270 or www.rrrasoc.org.
Saginaw, Garden City, and Royal Oak Organizations Earn Statewide Recycling Awards
November 2005
CONTACT: Sarah Archer, America Recycles State Coordinator - Michigan
America Recycles Team Michigan wrapped up the 2005 America Recycles campaign by recognizing 3 Michigan organizations for their outstanding efforts to promote waste reduction and recycling. The Close the Loop Award is a new competitive, point-based program that provides monetary awards to organizations that submit documentation of their recycling promotion/education efforts that also incorporate the America Recycles campaign.
The winner of the 2005 Close the Loop Award is the Mid Michigan Waste Authority (Saginaw). They will be awarded $500.00 for use in further promoting their recycling and waste reduction programs. For America Recycles 2005, the Mid Michigan Waste Authority sponsored a poster design contest, received America Recycles Day Resolutions from 19 member communities and coordinated a community recycling event by partnering with the Saginaw Children's Zoo over Halloween weekend. Through these efforts nearly 1,500 paper and on-line pledges to recycle were generated.
Classic Computer Recovery (Garden City) and Recycling For Charities (Royal Oak) earned second and third place, respectively, and will receive an award of $250.00 each to further their promotional efforts. Both Classic Computer Recovery and Recycling for Charities worked with communities across the state on electronics collections.
A total of 19 organizations registered to participate in the Close the Loop Award program. The grassroots efforts of government agencies, non-profits, educational institutions and businesses included MRF tours, electronics collections, adoption of environmentally preferable purchasing policies, classroom education programs, public displays, retail partnerships, newsletter articles, workshops and outreach to places of worship.
America Recycles Team Michigan is a committee of The Michigan Recycling Coalition. The Close the Loop Award program and all other activities of America Recycles Team Michigan are solely sponsor supported. America Recycles Team Michigan sponsors for 2005 were Recycle America Alliance, Canadian Plastic Recycling, Inc., Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority, Oakland County Waste Resource Management, Mid Michigan Waste Authority, City of Lansing Waste Reduction Services, Midland Volunteers for Recycling, Classic Computer Recovery and Iris Waste Diversion Specialists.
ABOUT AMERICA RECYCLES 2005
The Michigan Recycling Coalition is the official partner of America Recycles Day, Inc. both of which are non-profit 501 (c)(3) organizations. Novelis Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Staples, Inc., American Beverage Association, Recycle America Alliance, and United States Environmental Protection Agency sponsor America Recycles Day, Inc. State sponsors are Recycle America Alliance, Canadian Plastic Recycling, Inc., Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority, Classic Computer Recovery, Mid Michigan Waste Authority, Oakland County Waste Resource Management, Midland Volunteers for Recycling, City of Lansing Waste Reduction Services, and Iris Waste Diversion Specialists.
For more information about the Michigan Recycling Coalition visit www.michiganrecycles.org.
For more information about America Recycles 2005 visit www.americareyclesday.org.
CCR wins State of Michigan Contract
November 2005
Classic Computer Recovery Inc. (CCR), a Michigan based minority and woman owned computer and electronics recycling company, won a 1 year contract on November 28, 2005 with State of Michigan. The contract is for the removal and recycling of retired IT/computers and related electronic equipment for ALL government branch offices in the State of Michigan.
The award was based on CCR's initial bid to PAY the State of Michigan on a per skid basis to remove and recycle 300 skids of equipment from their main depot warehouse located in Lansing, Michigan.
CCR "proposed" the most cost effective, environmentally safe, data secure, and job producing solution of all participating bidders. CCR outbid five other competitors including Dell Computers, the State's current vendor by contract who supplies the State with new computers for all of their government offices.
