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EPA "E-Cycling" Project Reclaims Electronic Waste

Release Date: 11/16/2005
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

      As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ramps up efforts to recycle electronics being discarded in the Katrina recovery, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson toured the household hazardous waste collection site where all electronic waste from Jefferson Parish is readied to be recycled.  In the past several months, EPA has collected and shipped nearly 20,000 pieces of electronic equipment through this site.  

     "EPA, the state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will expand program to surrounding Parishes. As EPA assists with the recovery efforts in the Gulf states, we are helping to make sure yesterday's high-tech gadgets are not becoming tomorrow's contaminated garbage," said Administrator Johnson. "While recycling electronic waste takes more time and labor, this is about protecting human health and the environment."  

     Electronic equipment contains metals and other materials that can be hazardous to human health and the environment if they are not properly managed.  By recycling this equipment, EPA is preventing these substances from being released into the environment.  A large percentage of most electronic equipment can be recycled.  For example, fifty percent of the materials that make up most personal computers can be recycled.  

     Recycling electronics also helps reduce pollution that would be generated while manufacturing a new product and the need to extract valuable and limited virgin resources. Recycling also saves energy by reducing energy used in new product manufacturing.

     The eCycling efforts in Jefferson Parish complement the EPA's ongoing household hazardous waste collection and disposal work throughout hurricane affected Louisiana Parishes.  EPA has collected more than 650,000 drums and containers of hazardous materials and nearly 140,000 white goods in the state.  By collecting and properly disposing of the wastes, EPA is protecting the health of Gulf residents by preventing contamination of soil and groundwater.

     For more information on parish-specific household hazardous waste collection, visit http://epa.gov/region6/katrina/parishes.htm or call (800) 401-1327.  For information on eCycling, visit https://www.epa.gov/ecycling/index.htm.  For information about EPA's Katrina recovery efforts, including sampling data, please visit https://www.epa.gov/katrina.