Update

Managing Materials for a Sustainable Future

March 2008

Resource Conservation Challenge
Representative Success Stories by EPA Region

Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands 

Region 9: 

The California Department of 

Transportation (Caltrans) is 

substituting fly ash for virgin 

cement in the new Bay Bridge, 

the largest bridge project in 

Caltrans’ history, reducing 

waste and GHG emissions.

See page 15.

Region 10: 

EPA's Region 10 office 

committed to buying 

environmentally friendly 

electronics, joining four 

other regional offices 

as they receive the 

FEC's gold-level 

award, the highest 

FEC honor. See page 10.

Region 8: 

Montana’s Department of 

Environmental Quality and 

the RCC’s Plug-In partners 

are bringing eCycling 

collection events to rural 

and suburban areas. See

page 12.

Region 2: 

Destiny USA will use 

coal ash in its concrete 

and become a partner 

in ENERGY STAR, 

WasteWise, and 

other EPA programs.

See page 16.

Region 1: 

Lighting 

manufacturer and 

NPEP partner OSRAM 

SYLVANIA eliminated 

20,300 pounds of 

lead and 300 pounds 

of mercury from its 

processes. See 

page 20.

Region 3: 

Shops at White Oak Village 

recycled 93 percent of its 

construction and demolition 

debris. See page 16.

Region 4:

Sony Ericsson, a Plug-In 

To eCycling partner, 

launched its cell phone 

recycling program by 

sponsoring a take-back 

event in North Carolina.

See page 12.

Region 7:

Missouri’s five NPEP 

partners represent 

approximately 13 percent 

of the reductions 

committed to under 

the NPEP program.

See page 19.

Region 5:

Subaru of Indiana 

Automotive, winner 

of the WasteWise

Industrial Material 

Recycling award, 

recycled more than 

99 percent of its 

production waste 

in 2006. See page 5.

Region 6: 

Dell, a Plug-In To eCycling and 

NPEP partner, held electronics 

recycling events in Austin, 

Texas, and committed to 

reduce 200 million pounds of 

lead and 120 million pounds 

of bromine. See page 11.
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Municipal Solid Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Green Initiatives–Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Industrial Materials Recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Priority and Toxic Chemicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

1

Table of Contents
Introduction

Resource Conservation Challenge: 

An Overview

Launched in 2002, the Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) implements Congress’ charge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and 

the Pollution Prevention Act to prevent pollution and conserve natural 

resources and energy by managing materials more efficiently. The 

RCC is a national program that provides renewed urgency to EPA’s 

message of reducing, reusing, and recycling valuable materials habitually discarded by American industry and the general public by linking the 

importance of these activities to energy conservation and greenhouse 

gas (GHG) reductions.

While inclusive enough to reach every producer, manufacturer, and consumer, the RCC 

strategy is disciplined in its focus, targeting four major areas: Municipal Solid Waste, Green 

Initiatives–Electronics, Industrial Materials Recycling, and Priority and Toxic Chemicals.

Most importantly, the RCC brings a shift from a “waste management” to a “materials 

management” approach: Aluminum cans in a bin are a “waste” only if we do not take 

advantage of the fact that they are a material that can be recycled again and again, thus 

saving valuable energy and reducing GHG emissions with every additional extraction 

and manufacturing cycle avoided. Similarly, in the industrial arena, coal combustion ash 

destined for landfills can be reused in the production of cement: For every ton of coal 

combustion ash that is reused, we avoid 1 ton of GHG emissions.

Over the past several years, EPA has focused on fostering partnerships that have the 

potential to produce significant and measurable environmental results in the areas of waste 

prevention and increasing recycling. Our WasteWise program targets businesses, institutions, and governments. GreenScapes partnerships address landscaping of commercial 

buildings. The Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2) encourages the use of coal 

combustion products in transportation and building projects. The National Partnership for 

Environmental Priorities (NPEP) encourages industries to reduce chemicals of concern 

(priority chemicals). The Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) encourages academic 

institutions to remove outdated and unneeded toxic chemicals from the K–12 school 

environment. Plug-In To eCycling encourages industry, governments, retailers, and citizens 

2
to recycle and reuse electronic equipment. Outreach has 

been critical to the success of each of these programs 

in terms of engaging business partners (such as Dell, 

HP, Wal-Mart, GE, Subaru, and Staples) and the public.

To educate and inform the next generation of citizens, 

EPA has an aggressive educational outreach program 

targeting youth of all ages, including the Planet Protectors Club program for elementary school children, the 

Make a Difference Campaign aimed at middle school 

students, and a recently launched program for high 

school students.

In addition, EPA recognizes the importance of developing a variety of tools so our partners and others can 

make environmentally sustainable choices and all of us 

can quantify the successes, benefits, and accomplishments of partnership programs. Our RCC tools are being 

widely used not only by our partners, but more generally 

by members of the business community and the public 

who want to understand and reduce their environmental 

footprint. EPA is able to document the following environmental results of the RCC in particular, and more broadly, 

national efforts at resource conservation: 

Municipal Solid Waste—The nation’s recycling rate has 

increased from 29 percent in 2000 to 32.5 percent in 

2006. This 32.5 percent recycling rate resulted in GHG 

emissions reductions of nearly 50 million metric tons of 

carbon equivalent (MTCE), equivalent to the annual GHG 

emissions of more than 39 million cars. Our 32.5 percent 

recycling rate provided an energy conservation benefit 

of 1.3 quadrillion British thermal units (BTUs), the energy 

equivalent of 11.3 billion gallons of gasoline, or nearly 

13 percent of U.S. residential site energy consumption.

Green Initiatives–Electronics—In 2005, more than 

172,000 tons of electronics, consisting of CPUs, 

cathode ray tubes (CRTs), LCDs, notebook computers, 

and cell phones, were recycled, resulting in reduced 

emissions of 151,000 metric tons of carbon equivalent, 

comparable to the annual GHG emissions of more than 

100,000 passenger vehicles. The energy benefit of recycling those five categories of electronic waste was more 

than 6.5 trillion BTUs, equivalent to the energy content 

of nearly 53 million gallons of gasoline. In addition, 

173,000 tons of other electronics were recycled, yielding 

additional energy and GHG benefits.

Industrial Materials Recycling—Between 2001 

and 2006, C2P2 helped increase the recycling of coal 

combustion ash from 32 percent to 43 percent, resulting 

in the beneficial use of 15 million tons of coal ash. This 

resulted in conservation of 80 trillion BTUs of energy, 

equivalent to the annual energy consumption of more 

than 420,000 households. The GHG emissions avoided 

is equal to more than 3.5 million MTCE, equivalent to the 

annual GHG emissions of 2.5 million cars.

Priority and Toxic Chemicals—NPEP was launched 

as a major component of the RCC in September 

2002. Now in its fifth year, NPEP continues to be a 

program that delivers positive environmental results.

The NPEP program has grown into a network of more 

than 150 partners in 30 states and Puerto Rico, whose 

innovative projects have led to reductions of more than 

3.5 million pounds of priority chemicals and more than 

6.5 million pounds of other potentially hazardous chemicals from their processes and waste streams.

EPA is proud to release this report showcasing recent 

efforts and accomplishments in strengthening the 

nation’s infrastructure to reduce, reuse, and recycle 

municipal solid waste, industrial materials, and electronics, and to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals 

released to the environment. These significant RCC 

accomplishments are possible through our strong 

partnerships and collaboration with state and tribal 

partners, industry, nongovernmental organizations, 

corporations, other federal agencies, local governments, and individual citizens.

3
Municipal Solid Waste

Saving for Tomorrow by Reducing, 

Reusing, and Recycling Today

In 2006, the U.S. national recycling rate reached 32.5 percent. At this 

level, the United States reduced its GHG emissions by approximately 50 

million metric tons of carbon equivalent and saved 1.3 quadrillion BTUs 

of energy—enough to power nearly 13 percent of U.S. residences for 

one year.

EPA is working with states, municipalities, and key corporate leaders 

to increase the U.S. recycling rate beyond current levels and reduce 

the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) 

Americans generate. Through the RCC, EPA and 

its partners aim to increase opportunities for 

recycling, improve the efficiency of manufacturing processes, and reduce the amount of materials used in products. EPA also is educating its 

stakeholders and the American public about the 

benefits of recycling through a joint campaign 

with the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) that 

focuses on developing a new brand for recycling.

EPA and NRC intend to reintroduce recycling 

to the American public and increase participation in recycling efforts. The following stories 

showcase how EPA and its partners are greening 

their supply chains, conserving resources, and 

managing materials more efficiently.

4

0

20

40

60

80

100

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2006

MSW Recycling Rates, 1960–2006

in millions of tons

Source: Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal 

in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2006, U.S. EPA, 

www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/pubs/msw06.pdf
Thanks to WasteWise Partners, 

Recycling Is Up, GHGs Are Down

In 2006, WasteWise’s 1,800-plus 

partners diverted a significant portion 

of waste from landfills. Large and 

small businesses, schools, and local 

communities helped the nation 

reduce its GHG emissions and 

conserve energy. WasteWise partners developed their 

own resource conservation practices, from collecting 

office products for recycling to composting food scraps.

To build on past successes, EPA Region 2 developed a 

new WasteWise CD geared toward local communities 

and corporate leaders in New Jersey. The CD, developed as part of the New Jersey Reinvigorating Recycling 

Initiative action plan, explains how to start waste reduction and recycling programs, thereby expanding the 

recycling universe in the state.

RecycleMania Crowns Three-Time 

Collegiate Recycling Champion 

RecycleMania is an intercollegiate competition that 

invites colleges and universities from across the country 

to compete against each other to see who can recycle 

the most materials. In 2007, RecycleMania crowned 

California State University–San Marcos the Grand 

Champion for the third straight year. With a campuswide recycling rate of nearly 60 percent, Cal State San 

Marcos helped raise the 2007 competition-wide recycling totals to more than 43 million pounds. This year’s 

competition also doubled in size, bringing in more than 

100 new colleges and universities. This year’s top recyclers included Rutgers University, Lamont-Doherty Earth 

Observatory of Columbia University, Kalamazoo College, 

and the University of San Francisco.

In addition, through EPA Region 3’s involvement and 

with help from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, both West Virginia University (2006) 

and Marshall University (2007) started recycling at all of 

their home football and basketball games. During the 

2006 football season, with an average attendance of 

nearly 59,000 people, WVU collected more than 9 tons 

of aluminum cans, PET plastics, glass, and corrugated 

cardboard. Virginia Tech also recently initiated the “Hokie 

Spirit Recycling Challenge” at its home football games 

and could collect as much as 10 tons of recyclables.

Subaru: WasteWise Industrial 

Material Recycling Gold 

Achievement Award Winner

Subaru won the WasteWise 2007 Industrial Material 

Recycling Gold Achievement award for reducing the 

environmental impact of its manufacturing processes.

Subaru of Indiana Automotive has pledged to become 

waste free, save energy, cut GHG emissions, promote 

green procurement activities, and decrease its environmental footprint. As part of its reuse activities, in 2006 

the company avoided the disposal of 3,250 tons of packaging materials. It also recycled more than 13,000 tons 

of materials, nearly eliminating all of its production waste 

with a recycling rate of more than 99 percent.

GreenScapes: It’s Green in 

Your Garden and in Your Wallet 

EPA’s GreenScapes partnership 

program encourages companies, 

government agencies, and homeowners to find costefficient and environmentally friendly landscaping solutions. In 2006 and 2007, GreenScapes added 83 partners 

and allies, bringing its total to more than 150. In addition, 

GreenScapes joined the American Society of Landscape 

Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 

the United States Botanic Garden, and other organizations to form the Sustainable Sites Initiative. This initiative 

will provide standards and guidelines for measuring the 

sustainability of designed landscapes. Once the standards 

are complete, the U.S. Green Building Council plans to 

include them in the next version of the Leadership in 

Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building 

Rating System. The LEED system is used to evaluate 

and encourage design and development of sustainable 

5

A 32.5 percent recycling 

rate is equal to the annual 

GHG emissions of more 

than 39 million cars. 
buildings. Inclusion of these landscaping standards in 

LEED will enhance the importance of landscaping decisions as a contribution toward sustainability.

Carpet: Finding New Life 

For Old Floor Coverings

Soft underfoot, yet tough to manage at the end of its 

useful life, carpeting accounts for more than 1 percent of 

all MSW by weight, and about 2 percent by volume. The 

bulky nature of carpet and the variety of materials used 

in its manufacture often create handling, collection, and 

recycling challenges for local and state governments.

Over the last few years, the carpet industry has pledged to 

develop greener products and to decrease the amount of 

carpet destined for landfills. EPA, state governments, and 

nongovernmental organizations are collaborating with the 

carpet industry under the National Carpet Recycling Agreement to establish goals and timelines. The agreement 

also created a third-party organization, the Carpet America 

Recovery Effort (CARE), to develop market-based solutions for the recycling and reuse of postconsumer carpet.

One of CARE’s primary goals is to divert 40 percent 

of carpets currently going to landfills by 2012, using 

2002 as a baseline. In 2006, more than 130,500 tons, 

or 5 percent, of carpet were diverted from landfills.

Of this, nearly 120,000 tons of carpet were recycled, 

saving 12.7 trillion BTUs of energy—enough to power 

more than 67,000 homes for a year. (The remaining 

10,500 tons of carpet were diverted to waste-to-energy 

projects and cement kilns.) 

Rolling Back Waste 

At Wal-Mart

Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., has made resource 

conservation and sustainability part of its company-wide 

and nationwide environmental efforts. In 2006, EPA 

helped Wal-Mart work with its extensive supply chain 

to drive environmental innovation in packaging, which 

included development of an environmental scorecard.

The scorecard, which began its year-long trial in 2007, 

evaluates the environmental sustainability of the packaging used by Wal-Mart’s 60,000 suppliers.

The scorecard bases its evaluation on a number of 

environmental attributes such as product-to-package 

ratio and recycled content. Suppliers then can use this 

information to evaluate the environmental performance 

of their packaging to identify where additional improvements can be made, driving ongoing innovation. As the 

scorecard goes live in 2008, Wal-Mart will factor these 

scores to determine which products to sell in its stores.

As a result of the new scorecard, one Wal-Mart supplier 

completely redesigned the packaging for a USB drive.

The new package, called the EnviroShell, is made 

with 50 percent recycled corrugated cardboard and 

100 percent recycled plastic. This change eliminated the 

use of more than 47,000 pounds of virgin plastic and 

used more than 5,000 pounds of recycled PET.

Wal-Mart did not stop at reducing packaging waste. The 

company also announced that, starting in 2008, consumer 

electronics suppliers will be asked to fill out a similar 

6

EPA’s GreenScapes program provides cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping.
RecycleBank customers earn points redeemable for rewards.

scorecard to measure the sustainability of their products.

In addition, the company initiated a partnership with 

Peterbilt, and its collaborator Eaton, to develop heavy-duty 

hybrid trucks. This groundbreaking system is expected to 

save $9,000 per truck per year in diesel fuel costs.

PAYT: Recycle More, Pay Less

Pay As You Throw (PAYT) simply means charging residents for their MSW generation like any other municipal 

utility—based on how much they throw away, instead 

of paying for garbage services out of the tax base or 

a flat fee. This economic incentive strongly encourages people to reduce their waste and to recycle and 

compost more. And, with a 32–59 percent increase in 

recycling under the program, PAYT not only rewards 

those who recycle, but also can save the city more than 

20 percent of its MSW budget per year.

In addition to the economic rewards, PAYT also benefits 

the environment by reducing waste, conserving natural 

resources and saving energy, which reduces GHG 

emissions significantly. In fact, EPA estimates that for 

every 100,000 citizens using PAYT, GHG emissions 

are reduced by more than 9,000 metric tons of carbon 

equivalent—the same annual GHG emissions as more 

than 6,000 cars.

Given these clear economic and environmental benefits, 

more than 7,000 PAYT communities in the United 

States—from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Ore.—as well 

as cities all over the world—from Toronto to Taipei—are 

cashing in on the perks from PAYT.

RecycleBank: Opening 

A Branch Near You

In 2004, RecycleBank launched its first incentive-based 

recycling program in Philadelphia, Pa. Two years later it 

opened a branch for curbside recyclers in Wilmington, 

Del. Through an RCC grant, and in partnership with 

RecycleBank, Wilmington provided single stream collection of recyclables to approximately 8,000 households as 

a pilot program. RecycleBank’s high-tech concept tracks 

recycling rates electronically by scanning a barcode on 

the side of each resident’s curbside recycling bins. The 

scanner and barcode facilitate calculating the weight 

of the recycled materials and then crediting the home 

with “RecycleBank Dollars.” Residents can check 

their RecycleBank Dollars balance online and find out 

how many resources they helped conserve. Residents 

can redeem their RecycleBank Dollars at participating 

national and local retailers, including Starbucks, HP, 

Borders, Staples, and many others. In 2007, the RecycleBank Wilmington branch expanded to include the 

entire city; in addition, branches have opened in New 

Jersey and Massachusetts.

For More Information...

By working with partners to minimize waste 

or increase recycling in corporate settings or 

sporting events, EPA and its partners are saving 

energy, reducing GHG emissions, and conserving 

resources. For more information, please visit:

CARE: www.carpetrecovery.org

GreenScapes: www.epa.gov/greenscapes

Organic Materials:

www.epa.gov/organicmaterials

Pay As You Throw: www.epa.gov/payt 

RecycleBank: www.recyclebank.com

RecycleMania: www.recyclemaniacs.org

WasteWise: www.epa.gov/wastewise

7

RecycleBank customers earn points redeemable for rewards.
Green Initiatives—Electronics

Plug It in Again

Technology changes almost daily. Americans are demanding and buying 

the latest electronics, from flat-screen televisions and laptop computers to 

MP3 players and cell phones. The electronics industry is not only working 

hard to keep up with the demand for new products but also to improve its 

environmental performance. In 2005, more than 172,000 tons of electronics, consisting of CPUs, CRTs, LCDs, notebook computers, and cell 

phones, were recycled, resulting in reduced emissions of 151,000 metric 

tons of carbon equivalent, comparable to the annual GHG emissions of 

more than 100,000 passenger vehicles. In addition, 173,000 tons of other 

electronics were recycled, yielding further GHG benefits.

The states are finding new ways to encourage citizens to recycle their 

old electronics. By the end of 2007, 14 states had adopted electronics recycling legislation that bans e-waste from landfills, requires some 

form of financing for recovery of used electronics, or both.

To build on this momentum, EPA and its partners are making electronics 

recycling, also known as eCycling, more affordable and more convenient.

Accomplishing these goals doesn’t come without its challenges, because 

it involves building infrastructure to provide consumers with more recycling 

opportunities, increasing consumers’ awareness of these opportunities, 

and finding ways to implement cost-effective solutions. The following 

stories illustrate how EPA, the states, other federal agencies, and industry 

partners are working together to overcome these challenges by changing 

the way electronic devices are designed, increasing the use of “green” 

electronics, and providing recycling options to consumers everywhere.

8
Environmentally Friendly Designs 

Earn EPEAT Seal of Approval and 

Make Recycling Easier

Developed through an EPA grant, 

the Electronics Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) 

rates laptop and desktop computers and monitors on energy use, 

recyclability, resource efficiency, 

packaging, and other environmental attributes. These 

ratings—bronze, silver, and gold—help consumers 

evaluate, compare, and ultimately purchase electronic 

equipment that uses less energy, creates less waste, 

and contains fewer harmful materials.

Between July 2006 and December 2007, nearly 

700 models of desktop computers, laptops, and 

monitors were awarded the EPEAT label and are available in the marketplace. Of these, 38 have received 

gold certification—representing the highest tier of 

environmental performance. U.S. government computer 

contracts reference almost $42 billion worth of EPEATregistered products. In January 2007, President George 

W. Bush signed Executive Order 13423, mandating that 

federal agencies buy EPEAT-registered products.

According to the Environmental Benefits Calculator, 

developed by the University of Tennessee under a 

cooperative agreement with EPA, the first six months 

of sales (July 2006 through December 2006) for 

EPEAT-registered computers produced the following 

environmental benefits when compared with traditional 

computers:

•	 Saved 13.7 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of

electricity, enough to power 1.2 million U.S.

homes for a year;

•	 Saved 24.4 million metric tons of materials, equivalent to the weight of 189 million refrigerators;

•	 Prevented 56.5 million metric tons of air pollution, including 1.07 million metric tons of GHGs 

(equivalent to the annual GHG emissions of 

852,000 cars);

•	 Prevented 118,000 metric tons of water pollution;

•	 Reduced toxic material use by 1,070 metric tons,

equivalent to the weight of 534,000 bricks, including enough mercury to fill 157,000 household 

fever thermometers; and

•	 Avoided disposal of 41,100 metric tons of

hazardous waste, equivalent to the weight of 

20.5 million bricks.

Visit the EPEAT Web site at www.epeat.net for a 

copy of the annual environmental benefits report and 

information on the Environmental Benefits Calculator.

http://eerc.ra.utk.edu/ccpct/eebc/eebc.html

9

EPEAT helps consumers choose laptops and other equipment 

that use less energy.
Federal Agencies Buy 

Greener Electronics

Each year the federal 

government purchases 

more than $66 billion 

worth of electronic 

equipment and services.

The Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) assists federal 

agencies and facilities in becoming leaders in electronics 

stewardship by helping them improve their electronics purchasing, use, and disposal. With its purchasing 

power, the federal government is creating a major 

market for environmentally friendly electronics as well as 

supporting the infrastructure for responsible electronics 

reuse and recycling.

In fiscal year 2006, the environmentally friendly purchasing, use, and disposal decisions of 64 reporting FEC 

partners saved more than 65 million pounds of virgin 

materials. Twenty-one percent of federal partner 

computer purchases were rated EPEAT bronze or higher, 

and more than 99 percent of nonreusable federal partner 

computers were recycled. EPA’s Office of Solid Waste 

and Emergency Response and eight other EPA offices 

and regions received gold-level awards, the highest 

FEC honor, for reducing the environmental impacts of 

electronics in all three life-cycle phases (purchase, use, 

and disposal), as well as participating in a peer mentoring program.

In addition to FEC, the Electronics Reuse and Recycling 

Campaign (ERRC) challenged the federal government 

to donate and recycle excess or surplus electronics, 

instead of storing them. The ERRC is a competition 

between federal agencies to see which can reuse or 

recycle the most electronic devices. In the 2006–2007 

competition, the U.S. Department of Energy took the top 

honor, reusing or recycling more than 600,000 pounds 

of electronics. Overall, almost 2.5 million pounds of electronic devices were reused or recycled, saving nearly 

82 gigawatt hours of electricity, enough to power more 

than 7,000 households for a year (calculated using the 

Environmental Benefits Calculator at http://eerc.ra.utk.

edu/ccpct/eebc/eebc.html).

Plug-In To eCycling Makes 

Reuse And Recycling Convenient 

And Affordable

Creating safe reuse and recycling opportunities for used 

consumer electronics, known 

as eCycling, is at the heart of 

EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling partnership. In 2007, partners 

collected more than 47 million pounds of electronics.

The energy conserved through these recycling efforts 

is equivalent to the annual GHG emissions of nearly 

24,000 cars. Since the partnership began in 2003, 

Plug-In partners have recycled more than 142 million 

pounds of unwanted consumer electronics.

Plug-In To eCycling develops programs based on communities, electronics manufacturers, and retailers to encourage shared responsibility 

for safe electronics recycling.

10
In 2006 and 2007, Plug-In partners continued to 

demonstrate innovation and creativity in sponsoring 

collection events and take-back programs and reaching 

out to consumers.

Innovative Partnerships 

And Donation Programs 

In 2007, Dell and other Plug-In partners continued 

to build on their reuse and recycling programs. Dell 

expanded its Reconnect partnership with Goodwill 

Industries to include New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pa.

Reconnect, a comprehensive electronics recovery, 

reuse, and environmentally responsible recycling 

opportunity for consumers, is now providing electronics 

donation opportunities to several million households.

Dell also worked through its partnership with the 

National Cristina Foundation to offer consumers opportunities to donate their used computers.

In addition to its reuse and donation efforts, in 2007 

Dell launched its free, online computer recycling 

program. This program enables consumers who own 

Dell computers, printers, and peripherals to send their 

used equipment back to Dell, regardless of whether 

they buy a replacement.

Collection Programs

In 2007, Staples, Office Depot, Hewlett Packard, and 

Sony launched nationwide eCycling efforts. The Staples 

program, launched in May, lets consumers drop off 

their computers and other electronic office equipment 

at any of the company’s 1,400 U.S. retail locations. For 

a small fee, consumers can bring in big ticket items 

such as cathode ray tube computer monitors. Other 

electronic products, when brought in with a large item, 

are collected free of charge. Staples has collected nearly 

2 million pounds of unwanted electronics through this 

effort. Office Depot’s program allows consumers to 

purchase boxes, for a small fee, to use to recycle their 

used consumer electronics. Office Depot then sends 

the boxes on behalf of the consumer for recycling.

11

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

Plug-In Cumulative Collection Rates

in millions of pounds

Source: Plug-In To eCycling Accomplishment Reports, 

www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/plugin/index.htm

Fewer than 20 percent of cell phones are recycled each year. Source: EPA Baseline report, 

www.epa.gov/ecycling/manage.htm
Sony’s Take Back Recycling program, launched in 

September 2007, allows consumers to take, free 

of charge, their unwanted Sony-branded electronic 

products to more than 80 drop-off centers across the 

country run by Waste Management eCycle America.

For a small fee, all other product brands are also 

accepted. In 2007, more than 15 million pounds 

of electronics were recycled at drop-off centers in 

18 states. These innovative programs are helping 

bring convenient recycling opportunities to more 

Americans.

Cell Phone Recovery 

In 2007, EPA teamed 

up with cell phone 

manufacturers, 

service providers, and retailers to increase America’s 

cell phone recycling and donation rate. To raise the 

public’s awareness of the importance and convenience 

of cell phone recycling and donation, EPA distributed 

public service announcements and podcasts and 

increased publicity about available partner recycling 

programs. Cell phone recycling conserves resources, 

saves energy, and reduces GHG emissions. If the 

134 million cell phones that were ready for end-of-life 

management in 2006 had been recycled, we would 

have saved 10 trillion BTUs—enough energy to power 

more than 259,000 U.S. households for one year.

States Bring eCycling 

To Rural Communities

Citizens living near urban and heavily populated regions 

often have more opportunities to recycle electronics. In 

2006, Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality, 

located in EPA Region 8, piloted a series of eCycling 

events to give Americans living in rural and suburban 

areas the same opportunities to put their old electronics to good use. These events collected more than 

330,000 pounds of electronics and set the stage for 

Montana to develop a statewide electronics recycling 

program. Plug-In partners Best Buy, JVC, Lexmark, 

Panasonic, Philips, Sharp, Sony, Staples, and Toshiba 

cosponsored events in Butte, Helena, and Missoula and 

paid the cost of recycling their brands.

Plug-In partners also assisted in collection events 

across West Virginia by paying for the recycling costs 

of their branded products. Organized by the National 

Center for Electronics Recycling through a grant from 

the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation, the events collected and recycled more than 

230,000 pounds of electronics. Montana’s and West 

Virginia’s efforts serve as models to provide more 

recycling opportunities in rural areas.

As CRTs Phase Out, 

Recycling Rushes In 

In 2006, EPA issued a rule that ensures cathode ray 

tubes (CRTs) can be safely and easily recycled. As 

consumers upgrade to flat-screen LCD and plasma 

televisions and computer monitors, the number of 

unwanted CRTs will continue to grow. Specifically, the 

rule excludes CRTs destined for recycling from RCRA 

hazardous waste regulation, as long as certain conditions are met. This approach makes it easier to determine how CRTs should be managed safely, thereby 

encouraging recycling. In addition, the rule requires 

12

ReCYCLE easy call It’s an

YOUR CELL PHONE

A new EPA ruling encourages recycling of CRTs.
exporters of CRTs for recycling to notify EPA and obtain 

consent from the receiving country before the CRTs 

are exported. Recycling CRTs at home or abroad saves 

energy, conserves resources, and allows lead already in 

commerce to be reused, thereby saving virgin materials.

Developing Safe eCycling Practices

EPA convened a group of stakeholders including states, 

electronics manufacturers, recyclers, trade associations, 

and environmental organizations to develop responsible and safe practices for electronics recycling. The 

workgroup collectively developed a set of practices that 

not only result in the most significant environmental 

benefits, but also meet the needs of diverse stakeholders. The practices are slated to be tested in winter 2008.

For More Information...

Whether promoting eCycling collection events 

with our Plug-In partners, helping consumers 

and businesses understand the environmental 

footprints of their IT investments with EPEAT, 

or exploring innovative ways to make reuse 

and recycling easier, EPA is challenging all of its 

partners to continue to find ways to keep consumers plugged in to eCycling. For more information, 

please visit:

CRT Rule: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/

recycle/electron/crt.htm

Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator: 

http://eerc.ra.utk.edu/ccpct/eebc/eebc.html

EPEAT: www.epeat.net 

FEC: www.federalelectronicschallenge.net

Green Initiatives—Electronics: www.epa.gov/

epaoswer/osw/conserve/priorities/green.htm

Plug-In To eCycling: www.epa.gov/plugin

13

Computers and other electronic products contain valuable materials that can be reused as commodities for other products.

An eCycling event in Missoula, Mont., enabled rural and 

suburban residents to drop off their unwanted computer 

equipment for recycling. Photo: Montana Department of 

Environmental Quality.
Industrial Materials Recycling

Building for the Future 

With Yesterday’s Materials 

Every year, U.S. businesses generate more than 500 million tons of 

secondary industrial materials, which could be used beneficially instead of 

thrown away. Together, EPA and the Industrial Resources Council (IRC), 

a collaboration among seven manufacturing industry associations, are 

working to increase the recycling and beneficial use of industrial byproducts that are generated by the nation’s manufacturing sector. EPA is 

also partnering with the Associated General Contractors of America and 

other federal agencies, such as the Federal Highway Administration, U.S.

Department of Energy, and U.S. Department of Agriculture to encourage 

recycling of these materials. To promote information sharing among our 

many stakeholders including industry, federal and state governments, 

and academia, EPA holds its annual Byproducts Beneficial Use Summit.

These meetings serve as a catalyst to identify and develop viable markets 

and educate corporate, industry, state, and local partners on the significant environmental benefits of using or recycling industrial materials.

Finding uses for materials such as coal ash, construction and demolition 

materials, and foundry sand conserves energy and reduces GHG emissions by decreasing the demand for virgin materials. Recycling industrial materials can reduce materials costs for the end user and reduce 

disposal costs for the generator. The following stories are examples of 

how EPA and our public and private partners are using secondary industrial materials to build for the future.

14
C2

P2 Partners Help the Nation 

Reach a 43 Percent Recycling Rate 

For Coal Combustion Products 

Partners in C2P2 are working 

to increase the amount of coal 

combustion products (CCPs) 

American businesses recycle each year. In 2006, the 

CCP recycling rate reached 43 percent—more than 

54 million tons. Using 15 million tons of fly ash, a 

subcategory under CCPs, in place of portland cement 

saved nearly 80 trillion BTUs of energy—equivalent 

to the annual energy consumption of more than 

420,000 households.

California Uses Fly Ash 

In New Bay Bridge

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), 

located in EPA Region 9, is a leader in substituting fly 

ash for portland cement in its concrete mixes. Fly ash 

reduces the amount of cement needed in construction projects. The department typically uses about 

25 percent fly ash as a replacement for portland cement 

in its concrete mixes, which reduces statewide GHG 

emissions. Caltrans recently set a new goal of using up 

to 60 percent fly ash and 50 percent slag in its concrete 

mixes, further improving GHG savings and keeping 

these materials out of landfills.

Caltrans won first place for innovation in the 2006 

C2P2 awards for the Bay Bridge project. Designed to 

carry 350,000 vehicles per day and have a lifespan of 

150 years, the Bay Bridge is the largest bridge project in 

Caltrans’ history. Caltrans also created the first structural 

concrete GHG reduction standard, which will encourage 

contractors and designers to build more bridges and 

highways with higher amounts of fly ash.

U.S. Recycles Nearly 

65 Percent of Construction 

And Demolition Materials 

Increasing the use of construction and demolition materials is a national RCC priority. We estimate that approximately 40 percent of building materials and 88 percent 

of road surface materials are currently being recycled.

This translates to an industrial materials recycling rate of 

nearly 65 percent.

Construction of the new Bay Bridge in California involves use of 

recycled fly ash.

15

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Coal Combustion Products Used

in millions of tons

Source: American Coal Ash Association CCP Annual Survey Results, 

http://acaa.affiniscape.com/associations/8003/files/2006_CCP_

Survey_(Final-8-24-07).pdf
16

Multi-Use Complex Finds Value 

In Old Building Materials 

In Henrico County, outside of Richmond, Va., EPA 

Region 3 is working with the Forest City Commercial 

Group to redevelop 44 acres of a former RCRA corrective action site into a hotel and retail complex, with 

recycling and reuse as an underlying theme.

Redevelopment of this site into the Shops at White 

Oak Village is not only returning the land to public 

use, but it also incorporates recycling and sustainable 

design practices into the construction. Approximately 

77,000 tons of concrete were crushed onsite and 

used for the foundation, sidewalks, and structural 

support for the White Oak retail complex. Almost 

7,500 tons of aluminum, steel, iron, copper, assorted 

ferrous and nonferrous metals, and electronic 

equipment in the old building, such as filter boxes, 

computer systems, and transformers, will be recycled 

through reclamation buyers around the country.

This project recycled an impressive 93 percent of its 

construction and demolition materials. Moreover, the 

Forest City Commercial Group plans to use environmentally preferable materials and to adhere to other 

LEED guidelines for all redevelopment on the site.

Project leaders also plan to educate prospective 

vendors and tenants about green building practices.

Destiny USA to Use 

Industrial Materials

A major commercial development in Syracuse, N.Y., will 

be built with recycled industrial materials. In 2006, the 

developer of Destiny USA, which will be a multi-use 

complex incorporating shopping, dining, entertainment, 

and other amenities, met with EPA Region 2 to discuss 

incorporating a variety of environmentally sustainable 

practices into the project.

As a result of this coordinated approach, Destiny USA 

pledged to incorporate more than 3,000 tons of coal fly 

ash into concrete mixes used onsite, and to participate 

in a number of EPA initiatives. The developers pledged 

to employ green building techniques, join EPA’s Energy

Star® and WasteWise programs, and use WaterSenseapproved fixtures and conservation techniques. Further, 

the developers will retrofit more than 100 construction 

vehicles and other equipment to reduce air emissions 

by 85 percent, implement a vehicle idling enforcement 

program, incorporate hybrid and biodiesel vehicles into 

their fleet, and promote EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership to carriers, shippers, and tenants to reduce truck 

emissions. Using 3,000 tons of coal ash in the concrete 

alone saves the energy equivalent of 127,000 gallons of 

gasoline. EPA will monitor and measure benefits as they 

are generated by this project.

Artist’s illustration of Destiny USA.
Scrap tires may be recycled by cutting, punching, or stamping them into various rubber products 

after removal of the steel bead.

Deflating Tire Piles

Scrap tires can pose significant public health and 

environmental risks when disposed of improperly. The 

environmental impacts of tire fires can be far-reaching, 

and the aftermath frequently includes costly cleanups.

Reducing tire piles and increasing tire reuse and recycling will prevent these environmental and health risks.

EPA has two aggressive goals for managing used tires: 

(1) divert 85 percent of newly generated scrap tires to 

reuse, recycling, or energy recovery; and (2) reduce the 

number of tires in existing stockpiles by 55 percent by 

2008, using 2003 as a baseline.

Annually, Americans discard nearly 290 million scrap tires.

In 2005, more than 73 percent of these scrap tires were 

diverted from landfills. In addition, between 2003 and 

2005, scrap tire piles were reduced by about 32 percent.

These successes are due in part to increased emphasis 

on recycling and beneficial use by federal, state, and local 

governments; industry; and academic institutions.

For More Information...

EPA’s partnership programs are finding that materials once considered waste are in fact usable and 

valuable. For more information, please visit:

Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2):

www.epa.gov/c2p2

Construction and Demolition Materials:

www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/

debris-new/index.htm

Destiny USA: www.destinyusa.com

Foundry Sand Statement: www.epa.gov/

epaoswer/osw/conserve/foundry/index.htm

Industrial Materials Recycling: www.epa.gov/

epaoswer/osw/conserve/priorities/bene-use.htm

Tires: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/

muncpl/tires/index.htm

1994 1996 1998 2001 2003 2005

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Scrap Tires Remaining in Tire Piles

in millions of tires

Source: Rubber Manufacturers Association U.S. Scrap Tire Markets 2005 

Report, www.rma.org/publications/scrap_tires/index.cfm?PublicationID=11453

17
Priority and Toxic Chemicals

Transitioning to a 

Safer Tomorrow

Reducing the amount of hazardous chemicals in products and waste is 

vital to resource conservation and environmental sustainability. Making 

better decisions upfront about the use of these chemicals makes recycling easier and significantly reduces or eliminates the need to manage 

them as hazardous waste. EPA is targeting the reduction of priority 

chemicals—31 of the most persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic 

chemicals—and toxic chemicals of national concern (TCNC), which are 

chemicals that currently pose or could pose a substantial problem in the 

future on a national level.

EPA continues its work with states and a variety of stakeholders including large and small businesses, federal agencies, schools, communities, and others to change the way they use these chemicals. Our 

partners are designing products that contain fewer chemicals, reducing 

or eliminating priority chemicals in manufacturing processes, improving chemical management practices, and safely recycling more materials. These decisions are making their products safer, saving money, 

and improving the environment. The following stories demonstrate 

how partner actions are translating into significant environmental 

improvements.

18
Better Environment, Better 

Neighbor, Better Business: NPEP

The purpose of the National 

Partnership for Environmental 

Priorities (NPEP) is to reduce 

or eliminate priority chemicals 

in products, processes, and 

waste. In 2007, NPEP partners 

found innovative ways to remove more than 1 million 

pounds of hazardous materials from their operations, 

bringing total partnership reductions (from 2004 to 2007) 

to more than 3.5 million pounds of priority chemicals and 

more than 6.5 million pounds of other potentially hazardous chemicals. NPEP’s forward-thinking partners are 

making great strides toward their RCC goal of eliminating 4 million pounds of priority chemicals from waste 

streams by 2011. NPEP now has more than 150 partners 

among industry, municipalities, and the federal government working together to achieve this goal.

With these reductions, NPEP partners show that U.S.

industry is more environmentally conscious than ever.

NPEP partners are changing the way they do everything—from improving processes to building sustainable infrastructures. These changes are reducing or 

eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals, which in 

turn improves the environment, community relations, 

and profit margins. The following examples show what 

NPEP partners are doing to reduce and recycle.

19

2004 2005 2006 2007

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,300,000

NPEP Reductions of 

Priority Chemicals (2004–2007)

in pounds

Source: EPA National Partnership for Environmental Priorities program results, 

www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize/npep/index.htm

2007 Reductions of 

Priority Chemicals 

In 2007, NPEP partners 

eliminated 550,000 pounds 

of lead, 530,000 pounds of 

naphthalene, 220,000 pounds of 

polycyclic aromatic compounds 

(as defined by EPA’s Toxics 

Release Inventory Program), and 

7,300 pounds of mercury from 

the waste stream. 
20

Honeywell Eliminates the 

Use of Mercury

For more than 38 years, Honeywell Sensing and 

Control (S&C) Plant 4, located in Freeport, Ill., in EPA 

Region 5, manufactured mercury-containing sensors, 

switches, and control devices for the automotive, 

health care, appliance, and industrial sectors. Each 

of these products relied on switches that contained 

mercury, a priority chemical. Recognizing the environmental value of removing mercury from its products, 

Honeywell S&C joined NPEP and pledged to stop 

manufacturing mercury switches. In February 2006, 

Honeywell S&C did just that and eliminated the use 

of more than 25,000 pounds of mercury. Honeywell’s 

new, mercury-free switch is meeting customer needs 

while improving the environment.

Lights Off to Mercury and Lead

Three of the largest lighting manufacturers in the United 

States are NPEP partners. Their facilities and chemical 

reductions are listed below.

•	 In 2006, OSRAM SYLVANIA, located in

Hillsboro, N.H., in EPA Region 1, reduced the 

use of 20,300 pounds of lead and 300 pounds 

of mercury.

•	 In 2006, General Electric Consumer Products,

with facilities located in Bridgeville, Pa.; 

Charlottesville, Va.; and Winchester, Va.; in 

EPA Region 3, and Circleville, Ohio, in EPA 

Region 5, exceeded its original goal by four 

times by reducing and recycling the use of more 

than 950,000 pounds of lead and 49 pounds of 

mercury.

•	 By 2010, Philips Lighting Company, located in

Somerset, N.J., in EPA Region 2, has pledged to 

eliminate the use of 1.49 million pounds of lead 

and 780 pounds of mercury.

Auto Mercury 

Switches Removed

Many automobiles on the road today are equipped with 

convenience light switches that each contain approximately 1 gram of mercury. When these vehicles are 

scrapped, they are shredded and sent to steel mills for 

smelting. Mercury can be emitted into the atmosphere 

during the steel production process. That’s why EPA 

partnered with states, auto dismantlers, and steel manufacturers to launch the National Vehicle Mercury Switch 

Recovery Program (NVMSRP), an initiative to recover 

the mercury from these switches.

In 2007, NVMSRP reached one of its goals: enlisting 

49 states and Washington, D.C., to begin mercury 

switch collection programs. The 50th state, Maine, 

has its own state mercury switch collection program.

By the end of 2007, more than 6,000 dismantlers and 

shredders were participating in the program. Collectively, they recovered more than 900,000 switches and 

Honeywell recently eliminated mercury from switches it manufactures for the automotive and other industries.
captured more than 1 ton of mercury. NVMSRP expects 

to recover at least 4 million switches in the first three 

years, and 80 to 90 percent over the next 15 years.

To complement NVMSRP efforts, in October 2007, EPA 

finalized a significant new use rule (SNUR) under section 

5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act for elemental 

mercury used in certain convenience light switches, antilock braking system switches, and active ride control 

system switches. The rule requires persons who, in 

the future, intend to manufacture or process elemental mercury for auto switches to notify EPA at least 

90 days before beginning to manufacture or process the 

chemical substance for such a new use. The required 

notification will provide EPA with the opportunity to 

evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit 

or limit that activity before it occurs.

Helping Schools Manage 

Outdated and Unused Chemicals 

An estimated 33,000—or 75 percent—of all middle and 

high schools across the country have unnecessary or 

mismanaged chemicals on their premises. These chemicals, stored in maintenance closets, vocational shops, 

nurses’ offices, and chemistry and art classrooms, 

represent an unnecessary hazard to students and staff.

Accidental spills can result in dangerous exposures as 

well as lost school days and costly cleanups.

The Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3), 

formally launched in March 2007 at an event near 

Washington, D.C., is an RCC program that helps schools 

safely manage these chemicals and avoid costly, and 

possibly dangerous, accidental spills. The campaign 

provides schools with a free Web-based toolkit and 

connects school officials with local experts and industry 

leaders in chemical management who can assist in 

safely removing the chemicals from school property.

SC3 partners offer a broad range of services, from 

conducting chemical inventories to training school 

personnel in responsible chemical management.

Partners include federal and state agencies, tribes, 

teachers’ associations, school administrator organizations, and industry leaders. Partners were recognized at 

the launch and a similar event held in honor of Children’s 

Health Month in October 2007.

Toxics and

Poisons

23.9%

Corrosives

15.3%

Ignitables,

Reactives,

Explosives, and

Oxidizers

23.8%

Multiple

Hazards

21.3%

Other

8.1%

Carcinogens and

Expected Carcinogens

4.7%

Not Harmful

2.9%

Types of Chemicals Removed 

During SC3 Programs

Source: Evaluation of Results from EPA’s Schools Chemical Cleanout 

Campaign, www.epa.gov/evaluate/sc3result.pdf

21

SC3 promotes safe chemical management at middle and high schools.
Forward-Thinking Designs Lead 

To Safer Environment

EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry 

Challenge and Design for the Environment (DfE) partnership programs 

encourage businesses to prevent 

pollution and reduce the use or 

generation of hazardous substances.

Our partners are in a unique position to reduce or 

eliminate these chemicals from their processes and 

the products we depend on every day. As a result of 

the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge, program 

participants annually eliminate the use or generation of 

more than 1 billion pounds of hazardous substances 

(enough to fill a freight train pulling more than 5,000 tank 

cars, which would stretch more than 60 miles long). In 

addition, partners conserve more than 16 billion gallons 

of water (enough to supply a city the size of Baltimore, 

Md.) and avoid emitting 57 million pounds of carbon 

dioxide—equivalent to the annual GHG emissions of 

37,000 automobiles.

EPA’s DfE partnerships have reached more than 

200,000 facilities and approximately 

2 million workers, reducing the use 

of chemicals of concern by approximately 183 million pounds in 2006.

In these partnerships, stakeholder 

forums consider alternative chemistries and technologies that might 

replace chemicals that pose health or environmental 

concerns. DfE partnerships have resulted in use of 

safer chemicals that include alternatives to the flame 

retardant pentabromodiphenyl ether in furniture foam 

and lead solder in electronic products. The Formulator 

Program, a DfE partnership focused on selecting the 

safest possible ingredients that permit the formulation 

of high-performing, cost-effective products, recognizes 

significant achievements in sustainable product formulation. Each year, formulators blend billions of pounds of 

chemical ingredients to create a variety of products used 

by businesses, institutions, and households. The DfE 

logo differentiates products in the marketplace, indicating that the manufacturer has applied Green Chemistry 

principles, substituting the safest functional chemical 

ingredients.

Pharmaceutical Industry 

Makes Medicine Safer 

For the Environment

The pharmaceutical sector is one of the largest generators of waste and has the 

highest usage of organic 

solvents per pound of product 

produced of any U.S. industry sector. To reduce the 

use of toxic chemicals of national concern, EPA’s Green 

Engineering Program, in collaboration with EPA Regions 

2 and 3, proposed a project to encourage greener 

manufacturing practices in this sector. The project has 

two main goals: (1) to promote process modifications 

22

Through DfE, industry partners are considering alternative chemistries and technologies to 

reduce environmental and health concerns.
that can reduce the use of significant volumes of toxic 

process chemicals and limit their entry into the waste 

stream, and (2) to foster a dialogue among leaders in 

industry, academia, and government to discuss challenges and opportunities to advance pollution prevention 

and green engineering practices. The ultimate goal is to 

change the culture of the pharmaceutical industry and 

infuse it with green manufacturing strategies, leading to 

a safer environment.

For More Information...

EPA’s RCC partners reduced or eliminated 

priority chemicals and TCNCs in their products 

and processes, improved the efficiency of their 

operations, and made recycling easier. Their 

actions translated into social, economic, and 

environmental benefits that are paving the way 

to a more sustainable future. EPA challenges its 

partners to continue to make less toxic, more 

efficient products that will help us transition into a 

safer tomorrow. For more information, please visit:

Green Chemistry: www.epa.gov/greenchemistry 

Design for the Environment: www.epa.gov/dfe

NPEP: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/

minimize/npep/index.htm

NVMSRP: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/

mercury/carswich.htm 

Priority and Toxic Chemical Reductions:

www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/priorities/

chemical.htm

SC3: www.epa.gov/sc3

23

Pharmaceutical companies are substituting the safest functional chemicals into their processes and products.

EPA’s DfE program has entered into a partnership with the 

electronics industry to evaluate the life-cycle environmental impacts, performance, and cost of CRT and flat panel 

display technologies used for desktop computers (LCDs).
Conclusion

Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond

The accomplishments showcased in this report exemplify the culture 

shift toward a society in which materials are safely reused and recycled 

and waste is prevented, to the benefit of our partners, our communities, 

and the environment. These stories also demonstrate the success that 

can be achieved through public-private partnerships.

EPA will continue to demonstrate the tangible ways in which our 

RCC partners save energy and reduce GHG emissions. We invite 

everyone—businesses, communities, and individuals—to join us to 

manage materials for a sustainable future.

24
Limits on EPA and Partner Participation in the Resource Conservation Challenge Please note that EPA does not endorse 

the purchase of products or services of any company or organization mentioned in this update. EPA is authorized to cooperate with 

private and public efforts to reduce the adverse effects of releasing solid wastes into the environment and to encourage recycling of industrial 

and commercial materials. The Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) program is open to all companies and organizations that wish to join 

the Agency in this endeavor. Press releases and promotional materials may advise the public of the partners’ participation in the RCC program 

and identify any recognition awards that EPA provides to the partner. However, EPA is prohibited from endorsing the purchase or sale of specific 

commercial products or services. Our partners cannot create advertising that expressly or implicitly violates this prohibition and remain a partner 

with EPA. All commitments that EPA makes in this program are subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Neither the Agency nor its 

partners are under legally binding obligations to continue participation in the program.
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305P)

EPA 530-R-08-005

www.epa.gov/osw

March 2008

 Recycled/Recyclable – Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on Recycled Paper (Minimum 50% Postconsumer) Process Chlorine Free