55
Other resources
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/regions.htm [the ten U.S. EPA Regional Ofces]
http://www.astswmo.org/resources_stateagencylinks.htm [the State Waste Management Links]
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/rmd/bizasst/bizdir.htm [Recycling Business Directories by State]
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/plugin/partners.htm [manufacturers and retailers who have com-
mitted to collecting, reusing, or recycling old electronics]
8. INTRODUCTION TO RESPONSIBLE RECYCLING (R2)
Purpose
This information is provided to help you properly manage used and end-of-life E4000 R2 Focus Materials,
also known as FMs. FMs are materials in end-of-life electronic equipment that warrant greater care during
recycling, refurbishing, materials recovery, energy recovery, incineration, and/or disposal due to their toxic-
ity or other potential adverse worker health and safety, public health, or environmental effects that can arise
if the materials are managed without safeguards.
The following are R2 Focus Materials:
1. Items containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s)
2. Items containing mercury
3. Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT’s) and CRT glass
4. Batteries
5. Whole and shredded circuit boards, except for whole and shredded circuit boards that do not contain
lead solder, and have undergone safe and effective mechanical processing, or manual dismantling, to
remove mercury and batteries.
The term recycling means the equipment is disassembled and the components – such as plastic, glass, and
metals – are recovered and used to manufacture new products. Some organizations are involved in both
reuse and recycling while others focus on one activity.
This manual is intended to present only general guidelines for recycling options. You may nd it necessary
or desirable to depart from these guidelines for convenience, to enhance productivity or safety in your orga-
nization’s working environment, or in order to comply with local, state, and federal guidelines.
Options
What should be done with old electronic products? Electronic equipment should NOT be disposed of with
regular garbage. Nonfunctioning electronic devices should be recycled by an organization equipped to
handle them. A rst step in properly managing electronic products at the end of their useful life is to look
in your yellow pages under Computer Dealers-Used and Recycled; Environmental and Ecological Services;
Recycling Equipment and Services; Scrap Metals; Waste Disposal-Hazardous; or Waste Disposal, Reduction
and Recycling. Organizations that can provide recycling companies: International Association of Electronic
Recyclers (IAER) at www.iaer.org and National Recycling Coalition (NRC) at www.nrc-recycle.org/Programs/
electronics/index/htm .
Federal, state, and local regulations are subject to revision, so be sure to keep in touch with all agencies
that regulate the disposal of this material so you will know if the regulations change. In the Other Resources
section of this manual below, we have listed web site links to the 10 Federal Waste Management Regional Of-
ces, the current State Waste Management Organizations, State Recycling Business Directories, and manu-
facturers and retailers who have committed to collecting, reusing, or recycling old electronics.
To Next Page
Loading...