trg, a Cincinnati, Ohio based electronic waste recycler, is proud to announce that its Cincinnati processing center has recently completed R2 (Responsible Recycling Practices), e-Stewards, ISO 14001:2004, and OHSAS 18001:2007 certifications. Compliance with these independently audited certification standards indicates that 2trg is committed to quality recycling operations for used, unwanted, obsolete, and damaged electronics. They also demonstrate 2trg’s commitment to protecting customer data and protecting the health and safety of all workers handling the electronics it processes.

Recycling companies that do not hold the proper certifications are not held to the strict regulatory requirements for operational and environmental processes, creating a risk for individuals and organizations that use non-certified recyclers. Stuart Shaffer, chief client officer, said, “The certifications 2trg has completed are significant since there are a limited number of recyclers in the country who qualify for both R2 and e-Stewards certifications. This substantiates 2trg Cincinnati’s positioning in the tri-state market as the #1 processor of end-of-life electronics. Customers can trust us to responsibly recycle their electronics in an environmentally friendly and legally compliant manner. We are looking forward to certifying our other processing centers to provide the same assurance to customers nationwide.”

R2 and e-Stewards certifications require 2trg to use NIST SP 800-88 guidelines to clear or destroy data on hard drives and to provide accountability for the entire chain of custody, thus providing the type of data destruction required by laws like HIPAA, FACTA, and GLBA. “Our customers can rest assured that the data from their hard drives and other storage devices is cleared or destroyed meeting NIST SP 800-88 standards,” Carol Weinstein, chief financial officer, said.

Additional R2 and e-Stewards certification requirements relate to environmental requirements that prohibit disposing of electronic waste (e-waste) by dumping in landfills or shipping to third world countries which protects the environment, workers, and citizens abroad from the components in e-waste. Jerry Townsend, director of operations, said, “2trg operates in a way that respects the environment, follows legal standards, and protects worker health and safety as demonstrated by our compliance with R2 and e-Stewards certification standards. 2trg does not export any hazardous electronics overseas. It is important to us to protect both the health and safety of our employees and the health and safety of every individual downstream who touches the electronics we process.”

The certifications attained by 2trg Cincinnati distinguish it as a premier processor of electronic waste capable of working with anyone from local residents to Fortune 500 companies to provide environmentally friendly and legally compliant e-waste recycling solutions.

Vista Solar, a commercial PV solar installer located in Santa Clara, CA, recently completed a 234 kW commercial solar installation for AER Worldwide, a global electronics recycler and independent distributor of electronic components headquartered in Fremont, California. Since the company’s inception in January 1996, AER has been committed to protecting the environment through reuse and proper recycling of electronic waste. Installing solar made both ethical and business sense for AER Worldwide.

The new commercial-scale solar installation completed for AER’s Fremont, California facility will offset over 99 percent of the company’s current electricity bills, which will save the company more than $80,000 annually. Combined with escalating electricity costs, the system will save the company more than $3.9 million over the next 25 years.

The roof-mounted system, made up of 1,027 SunPower 228W modules and a 225kW SatCon inverter, will generate approximately 361,819 kWh per year. This is equivalent to the usage of approximately 50 homes, planting 6,511 mature trees, removing 259 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere or burning 29,349 fewer gallons of gasoline. The system is set to provide AER with electricity to process and recycle e-Waste for at least 25 years.www.vista-solar.com, www.aerworldwide.com

Covanta Energy Corporation, a world leader in the development and operation of Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facilities and other renewable energy projects, today announced the launch of a new business to responsibly recycle and dispose of electronic waste (e-waste). ECOvanta, located on 58th Street in West Philadelphia, is a state-of-the-art recycling facility that properly recycles electronic waste such as computers, monitors, mobile phones, printers and televisions. The facility safely manages end-of-life electronics using a combination of manual disassembly and an automated shredding system to separate materials into commodities for recycling.

E-waste is the fastest growing segment of the municipal waste stream in the U.S. with over three million tons of electronics generated each year of which only 14% is recovered for recycling. The rest typically ends up in landfills. Electronics should not be disposed of in the trash because most contain heavy metals such as lead (avg. monitor contains 4-7 lbs. of lead), mercury and cadmium.

“It’s important to properly recycle electronic waste to ensure we protect our environment from potential harm. I’m happy to see that new businesses like ECOvanta are coming to Philadelphia. They are not only providing a solution to this issue, but they are also creating new investment in our community,” said Carlton Williams, deputy commissioner of sanitation, City of Philadelphia, Streets Department.

ECOvanta has successfully passed audits and has been recommended to receive the R2 and ISO 14001:2004 certifications.  These rigorous third-party certifications ensure that e-waste is being recycled responsibly and sustainably. Everything that comes through the ECOvanta facility is sold or recycled as a processed commodity according to R2 standards. ECOvanta also audits all downstream vendors to ensure that they too are recycling correctly.

“We are excited to be launching this new venture into e-waste recycling. It is a growing market and we see a great opportunity to a provide proper, responsible way to recycle and dispose of these materials as more and more people become aware of its importance. In addition, we are proud to be providing new green jobs in the City of Philadelphia,” said Seth Myones, Covanta Americas president.

ECOvanta also offers secure destruction services for customers who require assured and certified destruction of their electronic equipment. Customers can follow the secure chain of custody process to track and identify material as it moves through the system. The process eliminates risks to information integrity by completely sanitizing hard drives or other storage media using a leading software program that meets all regulated destruction standards prior to manual disassembly and shredding.

The facility serves customers throughout the Mid-Atlantic, New York/New Jersey and New England.

About ECOvanta

ECOvanta is a new electronic waste (“e-waste”) recycling business owned by Covanta Energy Corporation, an internationally recognized owner and operator of Energy-from-Waste and renewable energy projects. Located in Philadelphia, PA ECOvanta provides a one source solution for responsible and sustainable e-waste recycling and secure destruction services. ECOvanta has recently been recommended for Responsible Recycling (R2) and ISO 14001:2004 certifications after completing a third party auditing process. For more information, visit www.ecovanta.com.

SOURCE Covanta Energy Corporation

Sony Electronics has begun a new effort for consumers to trade-in or recycle old or unwanted consumer electronics products for free in a socially and environmentally responsible manner through one website, at www.sony.com/ecotrade.

The new website is designed to help consumers find the best way to trade in or recycle both eligible Sony and non-Sony products for credit towards the latest Sony electronics products, the manufacturer said.

A drop-off center locator helps consumers find the nearest participating recycling center where they can drop off their electronics. For those located more than 25 miles from a drop-off center, Sony offers free shipping and recycling on eligible Sony-branded products that weigh less than 25 pounds.

“Sony Electronics continues to take concrete steps to improve the safe management of used electronics and is committed to making recycling as easy as it is to purchase new products,” said Mark Small, environmental, safety and health department VP at Sony Electronics. “We support the recycling of our products in the same respect we have when we create them, and our ultimate goal is to take back 1 pound of eWaste for every pound of product we make.”

Sony Electronics has made voluntary commitments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s industry partnership under the National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship to promote environmentally sound management of electronic waste through the use of certified recyclers. Since 2007, Sony’s Take Back Recycling Program has recycled more than 50 million pounds of Sony products in the U.S.