The Resource Conservation Challenge: 

What Can You Change Today? 

The Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) is a national effort to conserve natural 

resources and energy by managing materials more efficiently. By committing ourselves 

o reduce more waste, to reuse and recycle more products, to buy more recycled and 

recyclable products, and to reduce toxic chemicals in waste, we to conserve energy 

and preserve natural resources. 

Making Change Happen 

We are working with states, industry, businesses, and others to find smarter, faster ways 

to accomplish RCC goals. Whether we partner within the federal government, with major 

businesses, or with a town and its residents, we use approaches or principles that yield 

environmental results. 

The RCC is working hard to reduce waste and increase the reuse and recycling of materials. We’ve targeted the nation’s largest waste streams, and set priorities for: 

• Recycling municipal solid waste 

• Reusing and recycling industrial materials 

• Reducing priority and toxic chemicals in products and waste 

• Promoting green initiatives, especially the safe design and recycling of electronics 

Finding Solutions for Used Electronics 

RCC’s Plug-In To eCycling Partnership includes 21 manufacturers and retailers of 

consumer electronics, as well as 26 governments, which are providing Americans 

with more access to electronics recycling. In its first years, Plug-In Partners 

recycled 45.5 million pounds of unwanted electronics. Plug-In partners rely on 

recyclers that meet or exceed our voluntary guidelines for safe electronics 

recycling. Plug-In Partners have run pilot programs with manufacturers, retailers, 

and local governments to create more compelling opportunities for consumers to 

drop off old electronics. These pilots collected over 11 million pounds of used 

electronics and provided valuable data on best practices. 

For more information, visit <www.plugintoecycling.org>. 

2 Recycled/Recyclable. Printed with vegetable oil based inks on 100% (minimum 50% postconsumer) recycled paper. 
Reaching a 35 Percent National In 2000, recycling resulted in an annual 

Recycling Rate by 2008 energy savings equal to the amount of 

energy used in 6 million homes in a year We’re reinvigorating the public’s commitment to, (more than 660 trillion BTUs). In 2005, and value placed on, recycling. We hope to help recycling is conservatively projected to save the nation achieve our 35 percent goal by enough energy for 9 million homes (900

focusing on: 	 trillion BTUs). 

•	 Paper 

•	 Food scraps and yard trimmings 

•	 Packaging/container materials 

We’re working with states, local governments, national recycling organizations, and recycling 

businesses to provide more opportunities for recycling at local levels. We’re cooperating with 

commercial and municipal sectors that provide the greatest opportunities for success. For 

example, shopping centers nationwide are now committed to recycling more materials through 

our America’s Marketplace Recycles! partnership (www.epa.gov/rcc/amr.htm). 

Reusing and Recycling Industrial Materials 

Historically, Americans simply disposed of millions and millions of tons of industrial byproducts. 

Now, through the RCC we’re trying to increase reuse and recycling of these industrial materials. 

We have opportunities to increase the use of coal ash, construction and demolition debris, and 

foundry sands in highway, building, and other construction projects. When we safely are use 

these materials we conserve virgin resources, reduce energy use and associated greenhouse gas 

emissions, and extend the useful life of landfills. There are also economic advantages to the safe 

reuse of some industrial byproducts. We’re aggressively looking for smart ways to use: 

•	 Coal ash. We aim to have at least 45 percent of this byproduct in use by 2008. More than 129 

million tons of coal ash are generated every year. Using this coal ash in lieu of Portland cement 

can reduce the amount of carbon emitted in the manufacturing process. 

•	 Construction and demolition debris. We’re collaborating with our stakeholders to set targets 

that reduce the waste from construction and demolition and increase the use of materials in 

construction and demolition debris. 

•	 Foundry sands. We’re focusing on nonhazardous “green sands,” which use clay as binder 

material and are the molding media most commonly used by foundries. 

If we achieve all the goals of our Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2), we’ll be reducing 

11 million tons of carbon dioxide in greenhouse gas emissions, saving 3,540,768 barrels of 

crude oil. 

For more information, visit <www.epa.gov/c2p2>. 

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Protecting Health and Ecosystems by Reducing Risk from Toxic Chemicals 

We’re taking careful and deliberate steps to remove the worst chemicals, such as lead, mercury, 

and dioxins, from our environment. These chemicals, along with 28 others, are federal priorities 

because they are persistent, bioaccumulative, and highly toxic. We’re trying to reduce risk from 

these chemicals. Companies can produce less waste and thus lower their disposal costs by substituting, eliminating, or recycling certain chemicals in manufacturing processes. We challenge 

industry to join our efforts to improve the environment more quickly. By relying on American ingenuity, we can substantially reduce the volume and toxicity of priority chemicals in waste. We ask 

companies to voluntarily: 

•	 Substitute safer alternatives when they can. The National Partnership for 

•	 Minimize the amount of priority chemicals they use, if Environmental Priorities (NPEP) uses 

they can’t substitute for them. voluntary partnerships to reduce the 

use and release of priority chemicals. 

• Maximize their recycling efforts.	 Partners receive public recognition, 

• Design products to minimize exposure to, and release information, and assistance. 

of, priority chemicals during manufacturing and use.	 For more information visit 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/ We’re providing technical assistance and special recogni­ minimize/partnership.htm>. tion to help motivate companies to reduce both the risk


from and amount of priority chemicals they use.


Promoting and Practicing Environmental Stewardship for Electronic Products 

Computers and other electronic products are one of the fastest growing (and among the least 

recycled) components of America’s waste stream. We estimate that we discard electronic products at the rate of 2 million a year. On top of that are millions of televisions, video games, CD 

players, telephones, and computers that are stored somewhere because their owners cannot, or 

do not know how to, reuse or recycle them. 

Our national partners are collaborating with us to address 

Helping Consumers Buy environmental considerations along the entire life cycle of 

“Green” Computers electronic products. Focusing initially on personal computers, 

televisions, and cell phones, we’re striving to change the As we now look for the ENERGY overall design, operation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of STAR® logo, in the future we will want electronic equipment. We are committed to maintaining and to look for the “EPEAT” emblem. building markets for recyclable electronics. One way we’re EPEAT stands for Electronics Product 

Environmental Assessment Tool. It’s supporting markets is through the Federal Electronics 

being created to help Challenges (FEC). The FEC is a voluntary effort by federal 

consumers evaluate, compare, and agencies to buy greener electronics and to manage used 

select desktop computers, laptops, and electronics in an environmentally responsible way. What’s 

monitors according to their environ- more, electronic products are being made with materials that 

mental attributes. Computers will have pose significantly lower risk from toxic components, such as 

either a Bronze, Silver, or Gold EPEAT lead. Our Plug-In To eCycling partners are working diligently 

emblem that indicates their environ- to provide recycling services for used electronic equipment. 

mental performance. Working with them, we plan to increase recycling services 

For more information, visit nationwide by 50 percent over the next two years. 

<www.epeat.net>. 

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Changing Our Lives GreenScapes 

Accepting responsibility for improving our environment means The GreenScapes Alliance provides cost- changing our habits, processes, and practices. Everyone has a efficient, environmentally friendly solutions 

role. Businesses, consumers, and governments work together for large-scale landscaping. 

to ensure change across the whole supply chain—from design- Following the principles of GreenScapes ing better, less toxic products to ensuring easier product reuse can help save money, save energy, reduce and recyclability, to constructing millions of miles of highways waste, conserve water, and reduce overall using millions of tons of coal ash. environmental impact, including climate 

Our RCC partners understand these concepts and are our change impact. Other benefits include 

means to this end. Their innovative solutions point us toward an reduced exposure to chemicals. 

environmentally sustainable future, where waste is a concept of For more information, visit 

the past. Moving to an efficient and safe materials flow system <www.epa.gov/greenscapes>. 

is our ultimate goal. We acknowledge government and industry 

progress and willingness to adopt a resource and energy conservation ethic. The RCC combines and strengthens many individual efforts into a unified force that: 

• Conserves energy and materials 

• Reduces risks from the use of toxic and priority chemicals in waste 

• Prevents pollution and promotes materials reuse and recycling in all product life cycles 

For More Information Visit us on the Internet at <www.epa.gov/rcc>, and read the RCC Action 

Plan a www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/action-plan/act-toc.htm

Goals of the Resource Conservation 

Challenge 

• Prevent waste in the first place. 

• Reduce risk from and minimize the use of toxic 

chemicals. 

• Use environmentally efficient manufacturing 

• Design and use durable, reusable, and recyclable 

processes that include reuse and recycling. 

products. 

• Find safe, widespread uses for industrial materials. 

• Manage materials, not waste. 

• Minimize our individual and collective impacts on 

our environment. 

United States 

Environmental Protection Agency 

Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305W) 

Washington, DC 20460 

Official Business 

Penalty for Private Use $300 

EPA530-F-05-011 

October 2005 

www.epa.gov/osw