Screen Shot 2013-12-15 at 7.22.38 PMJEFFERSON COUNTY, WI – Jefferson
County reached a milestone, recycling its two-millionth pound of electronic waste (ewaste). The e-waste was recycled in partnership with Universal Recycling Technologies (URT), an eStewards® certified electrical engineer and universal waste recycler headquartered in Janesville, WI.
In 2010, Jefferson County contracted URT to recycle all residential and K-12 school e-waste collected in the county. The contract included collection from the cities of Watertown and Fort Atkinson, the town of Ixonia and Waterloo Utilities. The Jefferson County-URT partnership enabled the county to achieve two major milestones: reaching its one-millionth pound of e-waste recycled on June 12, 2012, and its two-millionth pound of e-waste recycled on November 12, 2013. “For a county of its size, this represents a significant achievement. It demonstrates how deeply committed the residents of Jefferson County are to sustainable practices. It is an honor to work in partnership with this remarkable group,” said URT President Jim Cornwell.
Jefferson County and URT are proud to celebrate this achievement together, having recycled all two million pounds of e-waste domestically and responsibly in accordance with eStewards® standards, the strictest available in the industry. Responsible recycling keeps potentially toxic materials out of landfills and developing countries, which may be ill equipped to deal with the waste. Electronic waste, and in particular the leaded glass used in older-model TV screens and computer monitors, is hazardous if not properly recycled. Electronic equipment contains poisons like lead and cadmium, which can leech into the environment, potentially contaminating soil and groundwater.
Today, in addition to e-waste, URT also accepts appliances for recycling at Jefferson County collection facilities. Since this program’s inception in 2012, Jefferson County has collected 192,896 pounds of appliances. The success of the e-waste and appliance collection program in Jefferson County will allow Jefferson County to open a fifth collection site in the coming months.
“The Solid Waste/Air Quality Committee is very proud of Jefferson County residents for bringing their e-waste to Jefferson County recycling sites for proper disposal. By contracting with URT we are adhering to the strictest available industry standards, since they are certified to the eStewards® Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment. The eStewards® Electronic Recycling Certification is the first fully accredited, independent audited certification program designed to ensure that e-waste will be responsibly and accountably recycled and not dumped in developing countries. All URT facilities are also ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certified, ensuring quality and environmental accountability,” said Donald Reese, Jefferson County Solid Waste/Air Quality Committee chair. “The two million pound milestone demonstrates what local residents, county government, local municipalities and private business can achieve working together to reach a common goal for the improvement of communities and the environment.”