i
                  Resource Conservation Challenge
                        <
                                              March 2008
  4»EPA
     United States
     Environmental Protection
     Agency
Managing Materials for a Sustainable Future

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          Representative  Success  Stories  by  EPA Region
Region 10:
EPA's Region 10 off ice
committed to buying
environmentally friendly
electronics, joining four
other regional offices
as they receive the  A
FEC's gold-level    /
award, the highest
FEC honor. See page 10.
Region 8:
Montana's Department of
Environmental Quality and
the RCC's Plug-In partners
are bringing eCycling
collection events to rural
and suburban areas. See
page 12.
 Region 9:
 The California Department of
 Transportation (Caltrans) is
 substituting fly ash for virgin
 cement in the new Bay Bridge,
 the largest bridge project in
 Caltrans'  history, reducing
 waste and GHG emissions.
 See page 15.
                                          Region 7:
                                          Missouri's five NPEP
                                          partners represent
                                          approximately 13 percent
                                          of the reductions
                                          committed to under
                                          the NPEP program,
                                          See page 19.
Region 2:
Destiny USA will use
coal ash in its concrete
and become a partner
in ENERGY STAR,
WasteWise, and
other EPA programs.
See page 16.
                                       Region 5:
                                       Subaru of Indiana
                                       Automotive, winner
                                       of the WasteWise
                                       Industrial Material
                                       Recycling award,
                                       recycled more than
                                       99 percent of its
                                       production waste
                                       in 2006. See page 5.
                                          Region 6:   /
                                          Dell, a Plug-In To eCycling and
                                          NPEP partner, held electronics
                                          recycling events in Austin,
                                          Texas, and committed to
                                          reduce 200 million pounds of
                                          lead and 120 million pounds
                                          of bromine. See page 11.
Region 1:
Lighting
manufacturer and
NPEP partner OSRAM
SYLVAN IA eliminated
20,300 pounds of
lead and 300 pounds
of mercury from its
processes. See
page 20.
                      Region 3:
                      Shops at White Oak Village
                      recycled 93 percent of its
                      construction and demolition
                      debris. See page 16.
              Region 4:
              Sony Ericsson, a Plug-In
              To eCycling partner,
              launched its cell phone
              recycling program by
              sponsoring a take-back
              event in North Carolina.
              See page 12.
                                                           \y


                                                                                             Puerto Rico j  U.S. Virgin Islands

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Table  of Contents
Introduction
Municipal Solid Waste	4
Green Initiatives-Electronics .                    . 8
Industrial Materials Recycling	14
Priority and Toxic Chemicals	18
Conclusion .                               . 24

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ntroduction
                     Resource Conservation Challenge:
                     An Overview
WHAT CAN YOU
SAVE TODAY
 S  M  T  W  T  F  S
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
Launched in 2002, the Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) imple-
ments Congress' charge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and
the Pollution Prevention Act to prevent pollution and conserve natural
resources and energy by managing materials more efficiently. The
RCC is a national  program that provides renewed urgency to EPA's
message of reducing, reusing, and recycling valuable materials habitu-
ally discarded by American industry and the general public by linking the
importance of these activities to energy conservation and greenhouse
gas (GHG) reductions.
                     While inclusive enough to reach every producer, manufacturer, and consumer, the RCC
                     strategy is disciplined in its focus, targeting four major areas: Municipal Solid Waste, Green
                     Initiatives-Electronics, Industrial Materials Recycling, and Priority and Toxic Chemicals.
                     Most importantly, the RCC brings a shift from a "waste management" to a "materials
                     management" approach: Aluminum cans in a bin are a "waste" only if we do not take
                     advantage of the fact that they are a material that can be recycled again and again, thus
                     saving valuable energy and reducing GHG emissions with every additional extraction
                     and manufacturing cycle avoided. Similarly, in the industrial arena, coal combustion ash
                     destined for landfills can be reused in the production of cement: For every ton of coal
                     combustion ash that is reused, we avoid 1 ton of GHG emissions.

                     Over the past several years, EPA has focused on fostering partnerships that have the
                     potential to produce significant and measurable environmental results in the areas of waste
                     prevention and increasing recycling. Our WasteWise program targets businesses, institu-
                     tions, and governments. GreenScapes partnerships address landscaping of commercial
                     buildings. The Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2) encourages the use of coal
                     combustion products in transportation and building projects. The National Partnership for
                     Environmental Priorities (NPEP) encourages industries to reduce chemicals of concern
                     (priority chemicals). The Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) encourages academic
                     institutions to remove outdated and unneeded toxic chemicals from the K-12 school
                     environment. Plug-In To eCycling encourages industry, governments, retailers, and citizens

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to recycle and reuse electronic equipment. Outreach has
been critical to the success of each of these programs
in terms of engaging business partners (such as Dell,
HP, Wal-Mart, GE, Subaru, and Staples) and the public.
To educate and inform the next generation of citizens,
EPA has an aggressive educational outreach program
targeting youth of all ages, including the Planet Protec-
tors Club program for elementary school children, the
Make a Difference Campaign aimed at middle school
students, and a recently launched program for high
school students.

In addition, EPA recognizes the importance of develop-
ing a variety of tools so our partners and others can
make environmentally sustainable choices and all of us
can quantify the successes, benefits, and accomplish-
ments of partnership programs. Our RCC tools are being
widely used not only by our partners, but more generally
by members of the business community and the public
who want to understand and reduce their environmental
footprint. EPA is able to document the following environ-
mental results of  the RCC in particular, and more broadly,
national efforts at resource conservation:

Municipal Solid  Waste—The nation's recycling rate has
increased from 29 percent in 2000 to 32.5 percent in
2006. This 32.5 percent recycling rate resulted  in GHG
emissions reductions of nearly 50 million metric tons of
carbon equivalent (MTCE), equivalent to the annual GHG
emissions of more than 39 million cars. Our 32.5 percent
recycling rate provided an energy conservation benefit
of 1.3 quadrillion  British thermal units (BTUs), the energy
equivalent of 11.3 billion gallons of gasoline, or nearly
13 percent of U.S. residential site energy consumption.

Green Initiatives-Electronics—In 2005, more than
172,000 tons of electronics, consisting of CPUs,
cathode ray tubes (CRTs), LCDs, notebook computers,
and cell phones, were recycled, resulting in reduced
emissions of 151,000 metric tons of carbon equivalent,
comparable to the annual GHG emissions of more than
100,000 passenger vehicles. The energy benefit of recy-
cling those five categories of electronic waste was more
than 6.5 trillion BTUs, equivalent to the energy content
of nearly 53 million gallons of gasoline. In addition,
173,000 tons of other electronics were recycled, yielding
additional energy and GHG benefits.

Industrial Materials Recycling—Between 2001
and 2006, C2P2 helped increase the recycling of coal
combustion ash from 32 percent to 43 percent,  resulting
in the beneficial use of 15  million tons of coal ash. This
resulted in conservation of 80 trillion BTUs of energy,
equivalent to the annual energy consumption of more
than 420,000 households.  The GHG  emissions avoided
is equal to more than 3.5 million MTCE, equivalent to the
annual GHG emissions of 2.5 million cars.

Priority and Toxic Chemicals—NPEP was launched
as a major component of the RCC in September
2002. Now in its fifth year, NPEP continues to be a
program that delivers positive environmental results.
The NPEP program has grown into a network of more
than 150 partners in 30 states and Puerto Rico, whose
innovative projects have led to reductions of more than
3.5 million pounds of priority chemicals and more than
6.5 million pounds of other potentially hazardous chemi-
cals from their processes and waste streams.

EPA is proud to release this report showcasing recent
efforts and accomplishments in strengthening the
nation's infrastructure to reduce, reuse, and recycle
municipal solid waste, industrial materials, and elec-
tronics, and to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals
released to the environment. These significant RCC
accomplishments are possible through our strong
partnerships and collaboration with state and tribal
partners, industry, nongovernmental organizations,
corporations, other federal agencies, local govern-
ments, and individual citizens.

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  Municipal  Solid  Waste
                      Saving for Tomorrow by Reducing,
                      Reusing, and Recycling Today
                      In 2006, the U.S. national recycling rate reached 32.5 percent. At this
                      level, the United States reduced its GHG emissions by approximately 50
                      million metric tons of carbon equivalent and saved 1.3 quadrillion BTUs
                      of energy—enough to power nearly 13 percent of U.S. residences for
                      one year.
                      EPA is working with
                      to increase the U.S.
MSW Recycling Rates, 1960-2006
in millions of tons
100
  1960  1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995  2000 2006

Source: Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal
in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2006, U.S. EPA,
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/pubs/msw06.pdf
states, municipalities, and key corporate leaders
recycling rate beyond current levels and reduce
  the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW)
  Americans generate. Through the RCC, EPA and
  its partners aim to increase opportunities for
  recycling, improve the efficiency of manufactur-
  ing processes, and reduce the amount of materi-
  als used in products. EPA also is educating its
  stakeholders and the American public about the
  benefits of recycling through a joint campaign
  with the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) that
  focuses on developing a new brand for recycling.
  EPA and NRC intend to reintroduce recycling
  to the American public and increase participa-
  tion in recycling efforts. The following stories
  showcase how EPA and its partners are greening
  their supply chains, conserving resources, and
  managing materials more efficiently.

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                                                           A 32.5 percent recycling
                                                           rate is equal to the annual
                                                           GHG emissions of more
                                                           than  39 million cars.
Preserving Resources,
 Preventing Waste
Thanks to WasteWise Partners,
Recycling Is Up, GHGs Are Down

                In 2006, WasteWise's 1,800-plus
                partners diverted a significant portion
                of waste from landfills. Large and
                small businesses, schools, and local
                communities helped the nation
                reduce its GHG emissions and
conserve energy. WasteWise partners developed their
own resource conservation practices, from collecting
office products for recycling to composting food scraps.
To build on past successes, EPA Region 2 developed a
new WasteWise CD geared toward local  communities
and corporate leaders in New Jersey. The CD, devel-
oped as part of the New Jersey Reinvigorating Recycling
Initiative action plan, explains how to start waste reduc-
tion and recycling programs, thereby expanding the
recycling universe in the state.


RecycleMania Crowns Three-Time
Collegiate Recycling Champion
RecycleMania is an intercollegiate competition that
invites colleges and universities from across the country
to compete against each other to see who can recycle
the  most materials. In 2007, RecycleMania crowned
California State University-San Marcos the Grand
Champion for the third straight year. With a campus-
wide recycling rate of nearly 60 percent, Cal State San
Marcos helped raise the 2007 competition-wide recy-
cling totals to more than 43 million pounds. This year's
competition also doubled in size, bringing in more than
100 new colleges and universities. This year's top recy-
clers included Rutgers University, Lamont-Doherty Earth
Observatory of Columbia University, Kalamazoo College,
and the University of San Francisco.

In addition, through EPA Region 3's involvement and
with help from the West Virginia Department of Environ-
mental Protection, both West Virginia University (2006)
and Marshall University (2007) started recycling at all of
their home football and basketball games. During the
2006 football season, with an average attendance of
nearly 59,000 people, WVU collected more than 9 tons
of aluminum cans, PET plastics, glass, and corrugated
cardboard. Virginia Tech also recently initiated the "Hokie
Spirit Recycling Challenge" at its home football games
and could collect as much as 10 tons of recyclables.


Subaru: WasteWise Industrial
Material  Recycling Gold
Achievement Award Winner
Subaru won the WasteWise 2007 Industrial Material
Recycling Gold Achievement award for reducing the
environmental impact of its manufacturing processes.
Subaru of Indiana Automotive has pledged to become
waste free, save energy, cut GHG emissions, promote
green procurement activities, and decrease its environ-
mental footprint. As part of its reuse activities, in 2006
the company avoided the disposal of 3,250 tons of pack-
aging materials. It also recycled more than 13,000 tons
of materials, nearly eliminating all of its production waste
with a recycling rate of more than 99 percent.


GreenScapes: It's Green in
Your Garden  and in Your Wallet
                     EPA's  GreenScapes partnership
                     program encourages companies,
government agencies, and homeowners to find cost-
efficient and environmentally friendly landscaping solu-
tions. In 2006 and 2007, GreenScapes added 83 partners
and allies, bringing its total to more than 150. In addition,
GreenScapes joined the American Society of Landscape
Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildf lower Center,
the United States Botanic Garden, and other organiza-
tions to form the Sustainable Sites Initiative. This initiative
will provide standards and guidelines for measuring the
sustainability of designed landscapes.  Once the standards
are complete, the U.S. Green Building Council plans to
include them in the next version of the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building
Rating System. The LEED system is used to evaluate
and encourage design and development of sustainable

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EPA's GreenScapes program provides cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping.
buildings. Inclusion of these landscaping standards in
LEED will enhance the importance of landscaping deci-
sions as a contribution toward sustainability.


Carpet: Finding New Life
For Old Floor Coverings

Soft underfoot, yet tough to manage at the end of its
useful life, carpeting accounts for more than 1 percent of
all MSW by weight, and about 2 percent by volume. The
bulky nature of carpet and the variety of materials used
in its manufacture often create handling, collection, and
recycling challenges for local and state governments.

Over the last few years, the carpet industry has pledged to
develop greener products and to decrease the amount of
carpet destined for landfills. EPA, state governments, and
nongovernmental organizations are collaborating with the
carpet industry under the National Carpet Recycling Agree-
ment to establish goals and timelines. The agreement
also created a third-party organization, the Carpet America
Recovery Effort (CARE), to develop market-based solu-
tions for the recycling and reuse of postconsumer carpet.

One of CARE's primary goals is to divert 40 percent
of carpets currently going to landfills by 2012, using
2002 as a baseline. In 2006, more than 130,500 tons,
or 5 percent, of carpet were diverted from landfills.
Of this, nearly 120,000 tons of carpet were recycled,
saving 12.7 trillion BTUs of energy—enough to power
more than 67,000 homes fora year. (The remaining
10,500  tons of carpet were diverted to waste-to-energy
projects and cement kilns.)
Rolling Back Waste
At Wal-Mart

Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., has made resource
conservation and sustainability part of its company-wide
and nationwide environmental efforts. In 2006, EPA
helped Wal-Mart work with its extensive supply chain
to drive environmental innovation in packaging, which
included development of an environmental scorecard.
The scorecard, which began its year-long trial in 2007,
evaluates the environmental sustainability of the packag-
ing used by Wal-Mart's 60,000 suppliers.

The scorecard bases its evaluation on a number of
environmental attributes such as product-to-package
ratio and recycled content. Suppliers then can use this
information to evaluate the environmental performance
of their packaging to identify where additional improve-
ments can be made, driving ongoing innovation. As the
scorecard goes live in 2008, Wal-Mart will factor these
scores to determine which products to sell in its stores.

As a result of the new scorecard, one Wal-Mart supplier
completely redesigned the packaging for a USB drive.
The new package, called the EnviroShell, is made
with 50 percent recycled corrugated cardboard and
100 percent recycled plastic. This change eliminated the
use of more than 47,000 pounds of virgin plastic and
used more than 5,000 pounds of recycled PET.

Wal-Mart did not stop at reducing packaging waste. The
company also announced that, starting in 2008, consumer
electronics suppliers will be asked to fill out a similar

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                                         RecycleBank customers earn points redeemable for rewards.
scorecard to measure the sustainability of their products.
In addition, the company initiated a partnership with
Peterbilt, and its collaborator Eaton, to develop heavy-duty
hybrid trucks. This groundbreaking system is expected to
save $9,000 per truck per year in diesel fuel costs.


PAYT:  Recycle More, Pay Less

Pay As You Throw (PAYT) simply means charging resi-
dents for their MSW generation like any other municipal
utility—based on how much they throw away, instead
of paying for garbage services out of the tax base or
a flat fee.  This economic incentive strongly encour-
ages people to reduce their waste and to recycle and
compost more. And, with a 32-59 percent increase in
recycling under the program, PAYT not only rewards
those who recycle, but also can save the city more than
20 percent of its MSW budget per year.
RecycleBank, Wilmington provided single stream collec-
tion of recyclables to approximately 8,000 households as
a pilot program. RecycleBank's high-tech concept tracks
recycling rates electronically by scanning a barcode on
the side of each resident's curbside recycling bins. The
scanner and barcode facilitate calculating the weight
of the recycled materials and then crediting the home
with  "RecycleBank Dollars." Residents can check
their RecycleBank Dollars balance online and find out
how many resources they helped conserve. Residents
can redeem their RecycleBank Dollars at participating
national and local retailers, including Starbucks, HP,
Borders, Staples, and many others. In 2007, the Recy-
cleBank Wilmington branch expanded to include the
entire city; in addition, branches have opened in New
Jersey and Massachusetts.
In addition to the economic rewards, PAYT also benefits
the environment by reducing waste, conserving natural
resources and saving energy, which reduces GHG
emissions significantly. In fact,  EPA estimates that for
every 100,000 citizens using PAYT, GHG emissions
are reduced by more than 9,000 metric tons of carbon
equivalent—the same annual GHG emissions as more
than 6,000 cars.

Given these clear economic and environmental benefits,
more than 7,000 PAYT communities in the United
States—from Portland, Maine,  to Portland, Ore.—as well
as cities all over the world—from Toronto to Taipei—are
cashing in on the perks from PAYT.


RecycleBank: Opening
A Branch Near You

In 2004, RecycleBank launched its first incentive-based
recycling program in Philadelphia, Pa. Two years later it
opened a  branch for curbside recyclers in Wilmington,
Del. Through an RCC grant, and in partnership with
     For More Information...
     By working with partners to minimize waste
     or increase recycling in corporate settings or
     sporting events, EPA and its partners are saving
     energy, reducing GHG emissions, and conserving
     resources.  For more information, please visit:

     CARE: www.carpetrecovery.org

     GreenScapes: www.epa.gov/greenscapes

     Organic Materials:
     www.epa.gov/organicmaterials

     Pay As You Throw: www.epa.gov/payt

     RecycleBank: www.recyclebank.com

     RecycleMania: www.recyclemaniacs.org

     WasteWise: www.epa.gov/wastewise

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Green  Initiatives—Electronics
                    Plug  It in Again
                    Technology changes almost daily. Americans are demanding and buying
                    the latest electronics, from flat-screen televisions and laptop computers to
                    MP3 players and cell phones. The electronics industry is not only working
                    hard to keep up with the demand for new products but also to improve its
                    environmental performance. In 2005, more than 172,000 tons of elec-
                    tronics, consisting of CPUs, CRTs, LCDs, notebook computers, and cell
                    phones, were recycled, resulting in reduced emissions of 151,000 metric
                    tons of carbon equivalent, comparable to the annual GHG emissions of
                    more than 100,000 passenger vehicles. In addition, 173,000 tons of other
                    electronics were recycled, yielding further GHG benefits.

                    The states are finding  new ways to encourage citizens to  recycle their
                    old electronics. By the end of 2007, 14 states had adopted electron-
                    ics recycling legislation that bans e-waste from landfills, requires some
                    form of financing for recovery of used electronics, or both.
                    To build on this momentum, EPA and its partners are making electronics
                    recycling, also known as eCycling, more affordable and more convenient.
                    Accomplishing these goals doesn't come without its challenges, because
                    it involves building infrastructure to provide consumers with more recycling
                    opportunities, increasing consumers' awareness of these opportunities,
                    and finding ways to implement cost-effective solutions. The following
                    stories illustrate how EPA, the states, other federal agencies, and industry
                    partners are working together to overcome these challenges by changing
                    the way electronic devices are designed, increasing the use of "green"
                    electronics, and providing recycling options to consumers everywhere.

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Environmentally Friendly Designs
Earn EPEAT Seal of Approval and
Make  Recycling Easier

                 Developed through an EPA grant,
                 the Electronics Product Environ-
                 mental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)
                 rates laptop and desktop comput-
                 ers and monitors on energy use,
                 recyclability, resource efficiency,
packaging, and other environmental attributes. These
ratings—bronze, silver, and gold—help consumers
evaluate, compare, and ultimately purchase electronic
equipment that uses less energy, creates less waste,
and contains fewer harmful materials.

Between July 2006 and December 2007, nearly
700 models of desktop computers, laptops, and
monitors were awarded the EPEAT label and are avail-
able in the marketplace. Of these, 38 have received
gold certification—representing the highest tier of
environmental performance. U.S. government computer
contracts reference almost $42 billion worth of EPEAT-
registered products. In January 2007, President George
W. Bush signed Executive Order 13423, mandating that
federal agencies buy EPEAT-registered products.

According to the Environmental Benefits Calculator,
developed by the University of Tennessee under a
cooperative agreement with EPA, the first six months
of sales (July 2006 through December 2006) for
EPEAT-registered computers produced the following
environmental benefits when compared with traditional
computers:

    • Saved 13.7 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of
      electricity, enough to power 1.2 million U.S.
      homes for a year;
EPEAT helps consumers choose laptops and other equipment
that use less energy.
    • Saved 24.4 million metric tons of materials, equiv-
      alent to the weight of 189 million refrigerators;

    • Prevented 56.5 million metric tons of air pollu-
      tion, including 1.07 million metric tons of GHGs
      (equivalent to the annual GHG emissions of
      852,000 cars);

    • Prevented 118,000 metric tons of water pollution;

    • Reduced toxic material use by 1,070 metric tons,
      equivalent to the weight of 534,000 bricks, includ-
      ing enough mercury to fill  157,000 household
      fever thermometers; and

    • Avoided disposal of 41,100 metric tons of
      hazardous waste, equivalent to the weight of
      20.5 million bricks.

Visit the EPEAT Web site at www.epeat.net for a
copy of the annual environmental benefits report and
information on the Environmental Benefits Calculator.
http://eerc.ra.utk.edu/ccpct/eebc/eebc.html

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      Plug-In To eCycling develops programs based on communities, electronics manufacturers, and retailers to encourage shared responsibility
      for safe electronics recycling.
      Federal Agencies Buy
      Greener Electronics
                                Each year the federal
      %f H Li                government purchases
       V*                     more than $66 billion
       ^^E Cf&attctt&c
      i»«r»,t. »....*....,oiHHnim    worth of electronic
                                equipment and services.
      The Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) assists federal
      agencies and facilities in becoming leaders in electronics
      stewardship by helping them improve their electron-
      ics purchasing, use, and disposal. With its purchasing
      power, the federal government is creating a major
      market for environmentally friendly electronics as well as
      supporting the infrastructure for responsible electronics
      reuse and recycling.

      In fiscal year 2006, the environmentally friendly purchas-
      ing, use, and disposal decisions of 64 reporting FEC
      partners saved more than 65 million pounds of virgin
      materials. Twenty-one percent of federal partner
      computer purchases were rated EPEAT bronze or higher,
      and more than 99 percent of nonreusable federal partner
      computers were recycled. EPA's Office of Solid Waste
      and Emergency Response and eight other EPA offices
      and regions received gold-level awards, the highest
      FEC honor, for reducing the environmental impacts of
      electronics in all three life-cycle phases (purchase, use,
      and disposal), as well as participating in a peer mentor-
      ing program.
In addition to FEC, the Electronics Reuse and Recycling
Campaign (ERRC) challenged the federal government
to donate and recycle excess or surplus electronics,
instead of storing them. The ERRC is a competition
between federal agencies to see which can reuse or
recycle the most electronic devices. In the 2006-2007
competition, the U.S. Department of Energy took the top
honor, reusing or recycling more than 600,000 pounds
of electronics. Overall, almost 2.5 million pounds of elec-
tronic devices were reused or recycled, saving nearly
82 gigawatt hours of electricity, enough to power more
than 7,000 households for a year (calculated using the
Environmental Benefits Calculator at http://eerc.ra.utk.
edu/ccpct/eebc/eebc.html).


Plug-In To eCycling Makes
Reuse And Recycling  Convenient
And  Affordable
rO
   •
       PLUG-IN TO
       eCYCLING"
           U.S. EPA
                      Creating safe reuse and recy-
                      cling opportunities for used
                      consumer electronics, known
                      as eCycling, is at the heart of
EPA's Plug-In To eCycling partnership. In 2007, partners
collected more than 47 million pounds of electronics.
The energy conserved through these recycling efforts
is equivalent to the annual GHG emissions of nearly
24,000 cars. Since the partnership began in 2003,
Plug-In partners have recycled more than 142 million
pounds of unwanted consumer electronics.
10

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                                         Fewer than 20 percent of cell phones are recycled each year. Source: EPA Baseline report,
                                         www.epa.gov/ecycling/manage.htm
Plug-In Cumulative Collection Rates
in millions of pounds
 150
 140
      2003       2004      2005      2006
                                            2007
Source: Plug-In To eCycling Accomplishment Reports,
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/plugin/index.htm
In 2006 and 2007, Plug-In partners continued to
demonstrate innovation and creativity in sponsoring
collection events and take-back programs and reaching
out to consumers.
Innovative Partnerships
And Donation Programs
In 2007, Dell and other Plug-In partners continued
to build on their reuse and recycling programs. Dell
expanded its Reconnect partnership with Goodwill
Industries to include New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pa.
Reconnect, a comprehensive electronics recovery,
reuse, and environmentally responsible recycling
opportunity for consumers, is now providing electronics
donation opportunities to several million households.
Dell also worked through its partnership with the
National Cristina Foundation to offer consumers opportu-
nities to donate their used computers.

In addition to its reuse and donation efforts,  in 2007
Dell launched its free, online computer recycling
program. This program enables consumers who own
Dell computers, printers, and peripherals to send their
used equipment back to Dell, regardless of whether
they buy a replacement.


Collection  Programs
In 2007, Staples, Office Depot,  Hewlett Packard, and
Sony launched nationwide eCycling efforts. The Staples
program, launched in May, lets consumers drop off
their computers and other electronic office equipment
at any of the company's 1,400 U.S. retail locations. For
a small fee, consumers can bring in big ticket items
such as cathode ray tube computer monitors. Other
electronic products, when brought in with a large  item,
are collected free of charge. Staples has collected nearly
2 million pounds of  unwanted electronics through this
effort. Office Depot's program allows consumers to
purchase boxes, for a  small fee, to use to recycle  their
used consumer electronics. Office Depot then sends
the boxes on behalf of the consumer for recycling.
                                                                                                               11

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     A new EPA ruling encourages recycling of CRTs.
      Sony's Take Back Recycling program, launched in
      September 2007, allows consumers to take, free
      of charge, their unwanted Sony-branded electronic
      products to more than 80 drop-off centers across the
      country run by Waste Management eCycle America.
      For a small fee, all other product brands are also
      accepted. In 2007, more than 15 million pounds
      of electronics were recycled at drop-off centers in
      18 states. These innovative programs are helping
      bring convenient recycling opportunities to more
      Americans.


      Cell Phone Recovery
      RECYCLE
      YOUR CELL PHONE t"
It's an
                              In 2007, EPA teamed
                              up with cell phone
                              manufacturers,
service providers, and retailers to increase America's
cell phone recycling and donation rate. To raise the
public's awareness of the importance and convenience
of cell phone recycling and donation,  EPA distributed
public service announcements and podcasts and
increased publicity about available partner recycling
programs. Cell phone recycling conserves resources,
saves energy, and reduces GHG emissions. If the
134 million cell phones that were ready for end-of-life
management in 2006 had been recycled, we would
have saved 10 trillion BTUs—enough energy to power
more than 259,000 U.S. households for one year.
program. Plug-In partners Best Buy, JVC, Lexmark,
Panasonic, Philips, Sharp, Sony, Staples, and Toshiba
cosponsored events in Butte, Helena, and Missoula and
paid the cost of recycling their brands.

Plug-In partners also assisted in collection events
across West Virginia by paying for the recycling costs
of their branded products. Organized by the National
Center for Electronics Recycling through a grant from
the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foun-
dation, the events collected and recycled more than
230,000 pounds of electronics.  Montana's and West
Virginia's efforts serve as models to provide more
recycling opportunities in rural areas.


As  CRTs Phase  Out,
Recycling  Rushes  In

In 2006, EPA issued a rule that ensures cathode ray
tubes (CRTs) can be safely and easily recycled. As
consumers upgrade to flat-screen LCD and plasma
televisions and computer monitors, the number  of
unwanted CRTs will continue to grow. Specifically, the
rule excludes CRTs destined for recycling from RCRA
hazardous waste regulation, as long as certain condi-
tions are met. This approach makes it easier to deter-
mine how CRTs should be managed safely, thereby
encouraging recycling. In addition, the rule requires
      States Bring eCycling
      To Rural Communities
      Citizens living near urban and heavily populated regions
      often have more opportunities to recycle electronics. In
      2006, Montana's Department of Environmental Quality,
      located in EPA Region 8, piloted a series of eCycling
      events to give Americans living in rural and suburban
      areas the same  opportunities to put their old electron-
      ics to good use. These events collected more than
      330,000 pounds of electronics and set the stage for
      Montana to develop a statewide electronics recycling
12

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Computers and other electronic products contain valuable materials that can be reused as commodities for other products.
exporters of CRTs for recycling to notify EPA and obtain
consent from the receiving country before the CRTs
are exported. Recycling CRTs at home or abroad saves
energy, conserves resources, and allows lead already in
commerce to be reused, thereby saving virgin materials.


Developing Safe eCycling Practices
EPA convened a group of stakeholders including states,
electronics manufacturers, recyclers, trade associations,
and environmental organizations to develop respon-
sible and safe practices for electronics recycling. The
workgroup collectively developed a set of practices that
not only result in the most significant environmental
benefits, but also meet the needs of diverse stakehold-
ers. The practices are slated to be tested in winter 2008.
For More Information...
Whether promoting eCycling collection events
with our Plug-In partners, helping consumers
and businesses understand the environmental
footprints of their IT investments with EPEAT,
or exploring innovative ways to make reuse
and recycling easier, EPA is challenging all of its
partners to continue to find ways to keep consum-
ers plugged in to eCycling. For more information,
please visit:

CRT Rule: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/
recycle/electro n/crt.htm

Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator:
http://eerc.ra.utk.edu/ccpct/eebc/eebc.html

EPEAT: www.epeat.net

FEC: www.federalelectronicschallenge.net
     An eCycling event in Missoula, Mont., enabled rural and
     suburban residents to drop off their unwanted computer
     equipment for recycling. Photo: Montana Department of
     Environmental Quality.
                                                             Green Initiatives—Electronics: www.epa.gov/
                                                             epaoswer/osw/conserve/priorities/green.htm

                                                             Plug-In To eCycling: www.epa.gov/plugin
                                                                                                              13

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                                                                       m
    Industrial  Materials  Recycling
                        Building for the Future
                        With Yesterday's Materials
                       Every year, U.S. businesses generate more than 500 million tons of
                       secondary industrial materials, which could be used beneficially instead of
                       thrown away. Together, EPA and the Industrial Resources Council (IRC),
                       a collaboration among seven manufacturing industry associations, are
                       working to increase the recycling and beneficial use of industrial byprod-
                       ucts that are generated by the nation's manufacturing sector. EPA is
                       also partnering with the Associated General Contractors of America and
                       other federal agencies, such as the Federal Highway Administration, U.S.
                       Department of Energy, and U.S. Department of Agriculture to encourage
                       recycling of these materials. To promote information sharing among our
                       many stakeholders including industry, federal and state governments,
                       and academia, EPA holds its annual Byproducts Beneficial Use Summit.
                       These meetings serve as a catalyst to identify and develop viable markets
                       and educate corporate, industry, state, and local partners on the signifi-
                       cant environmental benefits of using or recycling industrial materials.

                       Finding uses for materials such as coal ash, construction and demolition
                       materials,  and foundry sand conserves energy and reduces GHG emis-
                       sions by decreasing the demand for virgin materials.  Recycling indus-
                       trial materials can reduce materials costs for the end user and reduce
                       disposal costs for the generator. The following stories are examples of
                       how EPA and our public and private partners are using secondary indus-
                       trial materials to build for the future.
14

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COAL COMBUSTION
PRODUCTS PARTNERSHIP
C2P2  Partners Help the Nation
Reach a 43 Percent Recycling Rate
For Coal Combustion Products

                  Partners in C2P2 are working
                  to increase the amount of coal
                  combustion products (CCPs)
American businesses recycle each year. In 2006, the
CCP recycling rate reached 43 percent — more than
54 million tons. Using 1 5 million tons of fly ash, a
subcategory under CCPs, in place of portland cement
saved nearly 80 trillion BTUs of energy — equivalent
to the annual energy consumption of more than
420,000 households.

Coal Combustion Products Used
in millions of tons
60
30
20
10
     II
      2002      2003
                       III
                       III
                       2004
                                2005
                                         2006
Source: American Coal Ash Association CCP Annual Survey Results,
http://acaa.affiniscape.com/associations/8003Ailes/2006_CCP_
Survey_(Final-8-24-07).pdf
                                                       Construction of the new Bay Bridge in California involves use of
                                                       recycled fly ash.
California Uses Fly Ash
In New Bay Bridge
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans),
located in EPA Region 9, is a leader in substituting fly
ash for portland cement in its concrete mixes. Fly ash
reduces the amount of cement needed in construc-
tion projects. The department typically uses about
25 percent fly ash as a replacement for portland cement
in its concrete mixes, which reduces statewide GHG
emissions. Caltrans recently seta new goal of using up
to 60 percent fly ash and 50 percent slag in its concrete
mixes, further improving GHG savings and keeping
these materials out of landfills.

Caltrans won first place for innovation in the 2006
C2P2 awards for the Bay Bridge project. Designed to
carry 350,000 vehicles per day and have a lifespan of
150 years, the Bay Bridge is the largest bridge project in
Caltrans' history. Caltrans also created the first structural
concrete GHG reduction standard, which will encourage
contractors and designers to build more bridges and
highways with higher amounts of fly ash.


U.S.  Recycles  Nearly
65 Percent of Construction
And  Demolition  Materials

Increasing the use of construction and demolition mate-
rials is a national RCC priority. We estimate that approxi-
mately 40 percent of building materials and 88 percent
of road surface materials are currently being recycled.
This translates to an industrial materials recycling rate of
nearly 65 percent.
                                                                                                           15

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     Artist's illustration of Destiny USA.
      Multi-Use Complex Finds Value
      In Old Building Materials

      In Henrico County, outside of Richmond, Va., EPA
      Region 3 is working with the Forest City Commercial
      Group to redevelop 44 acres of a former RCRA correc-
      tive action site into a hotel and retail complex, with
      recycling and reuse as an underlying theme.

      Redevelopment of this site into the Shops at White
      Oak Village is not only returning the land to public
      use, but it also incorporates recycling and sustainable
      design practices into the construction. Approximately
      77,000 tons of concrete were crushed onsite and
      used for the foundation, sidewalks, and structural
      support for the White Oak retail complex. Almost
      7,500 tons of aluminum, steel, iron, copper, assorted
      ferrous and nonferrous metals, and electronic
      equipment in the old building, such as filter boxes,
      computer systems,  and transformers, will be recycled
      through reclamation buyers around the country.
      This project recycled an impressive 93 percent of its
      construction and demolition materials. Moreover, the
      Forest City Commercial Group plans to use environ-
      mentally preferable  materials and to adhere to other
      LEED guidelines for all redevelopment on the site.
      Project leaders also plan to educate prospective
      vendors and tenants about green building practices.
Destiny USA to Use
Industrial Materials

A major commercial development in Syracuse, N.Y., will
be built with recycled industrial materials. In 2006, the
developer of Destiny USA, which will be a multi-use
complex incorporating shopping, dining, entertainment,
and other amenities, met with EPA Region 2 to discuss
incorporating a variety of environmentally sustainable
practices  into the project.

As a result of this coordinated approach, Destiny USA
pledged to incorporate more than 3,000 tons of coal fly
ash into concrete mixes used onsite, and to participate
in a number of EPA initiatives. The developers pledged
to employ green building techniques, join EPA's ENERGY
STAR® and WasteWise programs, and use WaterSense-
approved fixtures and  conservation techniques. Further,
the developers will retrofit more than 100 construction
vehicles and other equipment to reduce air emissions
by 85 percent, implement a vehicle idling enforcement
program,  incorporate hybrid and biodiesel vehicles into
their fleet, and promote EPA's SmartWay Transport Part-
nership to carriers, shippers, and tenants to reduce truck
emissions. Using 3,000 tons of coal ash in the concrete
alone saves the energy equivalent of 127,000 gallons of
gasoline.  EPA will monitor and measure benefits as they
are generated by this project.
16

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                                         Scrap tires may be recycled by cutting, punching, or stamping them into various rubber products
                                         after removal of the steel bead.
Deflating Tire Piles

Scrap tires can pose significant public health and
environmental risks when disposed of improperly. The
environmental impacts of tire fires can be far-reaching,
and the aftermath frequently includes costly cleanups.
Reducing tire piles and increasing tire reuse and recy-
cling will prevent these environmental and health risks.
EPA has two aggressive goals for managing used tires:
(1) divert 85 percent of newly generated scrap tires to
reuse, recycling, or energy recovery; and (2) reduce the
number of tires in existing stockpiles by 55 percent by
2008, using 2003 as a baseline.
Annually, Americans discard nearly 290 million scrap tires.
In 2005, more than 73 percent of these scrap tires were
diverted from landfills. In addition, between 2003 and
2005, scrap tire piles were reduced by about 32 percent.
These successes are due in part to  increased emphasis
on recycling and beneficial use by federal, state, and local
governments; industry; and academic institutions.
Scrap Tires Remaining in Tire Piles
in millions of tires
      1994     1996
                     1998
                            2001
                                    2003    2005
Source: Rubber Manufacturers Association U.S. Scrap Tire Markets 2005
Report, www.rma.org/publications/scrap_tires/index.cfm?PublicationlD=11453
     For More Information...
     EPA's partnership programs are finding that mate-
     rials once considered waste are in fact usable and
     valuable. For more information, please visit:

     Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2):
     www.epa.gov/c2p2

     Construction and Demolition Materials:
     www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/
     debris-new/index.htm

     Destiny USA: www.destinyusa.com

     Foundry Sand Statement: www.epa.gov/
     epaoswer/osw/conserve/foundry/index.htm

     Industrial Materials Recycling: www.epa.gov/
     epaoswer/osw/conserve/priorities/bene-use.htm

     Tires: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/
     muncplAires/index.htm
                                                                                                              17

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    Priority  and  Toxic Chemicals
                       Transitioning to a
                       Safer Tomorrow
                       Reducing the amount of hazardous chemicals in products and waste is
                       vital to resource conservation and environmental sustainability. Making
                       better decisions upfront about the use of these chemicals makes recy-
                       cling easier and significantly reduces or eliminates the need to manage
                       them as hazardous waste. EPA is targeting the reduction of priority
                       chemicals—31 of the most persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic
                       chemicals—and toxic chemicals of national concern (TCNC), which are
                       chemicals that currently pose or could pose a substantial problem in the
                       future on a national level.

                       EPA continues its work with states and a variety of stakeholders includ-
                       ing large and small businesses, federal agencies, schools, communi-
                       ties, and others to change the way they use these chemicals. Our
                       partners are designing products that contain fewer chemicals, reducing
                       or eliminating priority chemicals in manufacturing processes,  improv-
                       ing chemical management practices, and safely recycling more materi-
                       als. These decisions are making their products safer, saving money,
                       and improving the environment. The following stories demonstrate
                       how partner actions are translating into significant environmental
                       improvements.
18

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Better Environment, Better
Neighbor, Better Business: NPEP

                    The purpose of the National
                    Partnership for Environmental
          nni»ranip   Priorities (NPEP) is to reduce
        Environmental   or eliminate priority chemicals
       priornM*       jn products, processes, and
                    waste. In 2007, NPEP partners
found innovative ways to remove more than 1  million
pounds of hazardous materials from their operations,
bringing total partnership reductions (from 2004 to 2007)
to more than 3.5 million pounds of priority chemicals and
more than 6.5 million pounds of other potentially hazard-
ous chemicals. NPEP's forward-thinking partners are
making great strides toward their RCC goal of eliminat-
ing 4 million pounds of priority chemicals from  waste
streams by 2011. NPEP now has more than 150 partners
among industry, municipalities, and the federal govern-
ment working together to achieve this goal.

With these reductions, NPEP partners show that U.S.
industry is more environmentally conscious than ever.
NPEP partners are changing the way they do every-
thing—from improving processes to building sustain-
able infrastructures. These changes are reducing or
eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals, which in
turn improves the environment, community relations,
and profit margins. The following examples show what
NPEP partners are doing to reduce and recycle.
   2007 Reductions of
    * iority Chemicals

      2007, NPEP partners
   eliminated 550,000 pounds
   of lead, 530,000 pounds of
   naphthalene, 220,000 pounds of
   polycyclic aromatic compounds
   (as  defined by EPA's Toxics
   Release Inventory Program), and
   7,300 pounds of mercury from
   the waste stream.
NPEP Reductions of
Priority Chemicals (2004-2007)
in pounds
1,300,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
 800,000
 600,000
                                                    400,000
                                                    200,000
                                                             2004
                                                                      2005
                                                                                2006
                                                                                         2007
                                                  Source: EPA National Partnership for Environmental Priorities program results,
                                                  www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize/npep/index.htm
                                                                                                 19

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      Honeywell recently eliminated mercury from switches it manufactures for the automotive and other industries.
      Honeywell Eliminates the
      Use of Mercury
      For more than 38 years, Honeywell Sensing and
      Control (S&C) Plant 4, located in Freeport, III., in EPA
      Region 5, manufactured mercury-containing sensors,
      switches, and control devices for the automotive,
      health care, appliance, and industrial sectors. Each
      of these products relied on switches that contained
      mercury, a priority chemical. Recognizing the environ-
      mental value of removing  mercury from its products,
      Honeywell S&C joined NPEP and pledged to stop
      manufacturing mercury switches. In February 2006,
      Honeywell S&C did just that and eliminated the use
      of more than 25,000 pounds of mercury. Honeywell's
      new, mercury-free switch  is meeting customer needs
      while improving the environment.


      Lights Off to Mercury and  Lead
      Three of the largest lighting manufacturers in the United
      States are NPEP partners.  Their facilities and chemical
      reductions are listed below.

          •  In 2006, OSRAM SYLVANIA,  located in
            Hillsboro, N.H., in EPA Region 1, reduced the
            use of 20,300 pounds of lead and 300 pounds
            of mercury.

          •  In 2006, General Electric Consumer Products,
            with facilities located in Bridgeville, Pa.;
            Charlottesville, Va.; and Winchester, Va.; in
            EPA Region 3, and Circleville, Ohio, in EPA
      Region 5, exceeded its original goal by four
      times by reducing and recycling the use of more
      than 950,000 pounds of lead and 49 pounds of
      mercury.

    • By 2010, Philips Lighting Company, located in
      Somerset, N.J., in EPA Region 2, has pledged to
      eliminate the use of 1.49 million pounds of lead
      and 780 pounds of mercury.


Auto Mercury
Switches Removed

Many automobiles on the road today are equipped with
convenience light switches that each contain approxi-
mately 1 gram of mercury. When these vehicles are
scrapped, they are shredded and  sent to steel mills for
smelting. Mercury can be emitted into the atmosphere
during the steel production process. That's why EPA
partnered with states, auto dismantlers, and steel manu-
facturers to launch the National Vehicle Mercury Switch
Recovery Program (NVMSRP), an initiative to recover
the mercury from these switches.

In 2007, NVMSRP reached one of its goals: enlisting
49 states and Washington, D.C., to begin mercury
switch collection programs. The 50th state, Maine,
has its own state mercury switch collection program.
By the end of 2007,  more than 6,000 dismantlers and
shredders were participating in the program. Collec-
tively, they recovered more than 900,000 switches and
20

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                                         SC3 promotes safe chemical management at middle and high schools.
captured more than 1 ton of mercury. NVMSRP expects
to recover at least 4 million switches in the first three
years, and 80 to 90 percent over the next 15 years.

To complement NVMSRP efforts, in October 2007, EPA
finalized a significant new use rule (SNUR) under section
5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act for elemental
mercury used in certain convenience light switches, anti-
lock braking system switches, and active ride control
system switches. The rule requires persons who, in
the future, intend to manufacture or process elemen-
tal mercury for auto switches to notify EPA at least
90 days before beginning to manufacture or process the
chemical substance for such a new use. The required
notification will provide EPA with the opportunity to
evaluate the  intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit
or limit that activity before it occurs.


Helping Schools Manage
Outdated  and  Unused Chemicals

An estimated 33,000—or 75 percent—of all middle and
high schools across the country have unnecessary or
mismanaged chemicals on their premises. These chemi-
cals, stored in maintenance closets, vocational shops,
nurses' offices, and chemistry and art classrooms,
represent an unnecessary hazard to students and staff.
Accidental spills can result in dangerous  exposures as
well as lost school days and costly cleanups.

The Schools  Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3),
formally launched in March 2007 at an event near
Washington, D.C., is an RCC program that helps schools
safely manage these chemicals and avoid costly, and
possibly dangerous, accidental spills. The campaign
provides schools with a free Web-based toolkit and
connects school officials with local experts and industry
leaders in chemical management who can assist in
safely removing the chemicals from school property.
SC3 partners offer a broad range of services, from
conducting chemical inventories to training school
personnel in responsible chemical management.
Partners include federal and state agencies, tribes,
teachers' associations, school administrator organiza-
tions, and industry leaders. Partners were recognized at
the launch and a similar event held in honor of Children's
Health Month in October 2007.
Types of Chemicals Removed
During SC3 Programs
                           Corrosives
                             15.3%
                                   Toxics and
                                    Poisons
                                     23.9%
                    Ignitables,
                    Reactives,
                  Explosives, and
                    Oxidizers
                     23.8%
        • Carcinogens and
        Expected Carcinogens
        4.7%

        -Not Harmful
        2.9%
Source: Evaluation of Results from EPA's Schools Chemical Cleanout
Campaign, www.epa.gov/evaluate/sc3result.pdf
                                                                                                               21

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      Through DfE, industry partners are considering alternative chemistries and technologies to
      reduce environmental and health concerns.
Forward-Thinking Designs Lead
To Safer  Environment

                 EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry
                 Challenge and Design for the Envi-
                 ronment (DfE) partnership programs
                 encourage businesses to prevent
                 pollution and reduce the use or
                 generation of hazardous substances.
Our partners are in a unique position to reduce or
eliminate these chemicals from their processes and
the products we depend on every day. As a result of
the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge, program
participants annually eliminate the use or generation of
more than  1 billion pounds of hazardous substances
(enough to fill a freight train pulling more than 5,000 tank
cars, which would stretch  more than 60 miles long). In
addition, partners  conserve more than 16 billion gallons
of water (enough to supply a city the size of Baltimore,
Md.) and avoid emitting 57 million pounds of carbon
dioxide—equivalent to the annual GHG emissions of
37,000 automobiles.

EPA's DfE partnerships have reached more than
                 200,000 facilities and approximately
                 2 million workers, reducing the use
                 of chemicals of concern by approxi-
                 mately 183 million pounds in 2006.
                 In these partnerships, stakeholder
                 forums consider alternative chem-
                 istries and technologies that might
replace chemicals that pose health  or environmental
concerns. DfE partnerships have resulted in use of
         U.S.EPA
                                                              safer chemicals that include alternatives to the flame
                                                              retardant pentabromodiphenyl ether in furniture foam
                                                              and lead solder in electronic products. The Formulator
                                                              Program, a DfE partnership focused on selecting the
                                                              safest possible ingredients that permit the formulation
                                                              of high-performing, cost-effective products, recognizes
                                                              significant achievements in sustainable product formula-
                                                              tion. Each year, formulators blend billions of pounds of
                                                              chemical ingredients to create a variety of products used
                                                              by businesses, institutions, and households. The DfE
                                                              logo differentiates products in the marketplace, indicat-
                                                              ing that the manufacturer has applied Green Chemistry
                                                              principles, substituting the safest functional chemical
                                                              ingredients.


                                                              Pharmaceutical Industry
                                                              Makes Medicine Safer
                                                              For the Environment

                                                              ThejDharmaceutical sector is one of the largest genera-
                                                                                   tors of waste and has the
                                                                        ineering   highest usage of organic
                                                                                   solvents per pound of product
                                                              produced of any U.S. industry sector. To reduce the
                                                              use of toxic chemicals of national concern, EPA's Green
                                                              Engineering Program, in collaboration with EPA Regions
                                                              2 and 3, proposed a project to encourage greener
                                                              manufacturing practices in this sector. The project has
                                                              two main goals: (1) to promote process modifications
22

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Pharmaceutical companies are substituting the safest functional chemicals into their processes and products.
that can reduce the use of significant volumes of toxic
process chemicals and limit their entry into the waste
stream, and (2) to foster a dialogue among leaders in
industry, academia, and government to discuss chal-
lenges and opportunities to advance pollution prevention
and green engineering practices. The ultimate goal is to
change the culture of the pharmaceutical industry and
infuse it with green manufacturing strategies, leading to
a safer environment.
For More Information...
EPA's RCC partners reduced or eliminated
priority chemicals and TCNCs in their products
and processes, improved the efficiency of their
operations, and made recycling easier. Their
actions translated into social, economic, and
environmental benefits that are paving the way
to a more sustainable future. EPA challenges its
partners to continue to make less toxic, more
efficient products that will help us transition into a
safer tomorrow. For more information, please visit:
                                                             Green Chemistry: www.epa.gov/greenchemistry

                                                             Design for the Environment: www.epa.gov/dfe

                                                             NPEP: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/
                                                             minimize/npep/index.htm
       EPA's DfE program has entered into a partnership with the
       electronics industry to evaluate the life-cycle environmen-
       tal impacts, performance, and cost of CRT and flat panel
       display technologies used for desktop computers (LCDs).
                                                             NVMSRP: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/
                                                             mercury/ca rswich.htm

                                                             Priority and Toxic Chemical Reductions:
                                                             www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/priorities/
                                                             chemical.htm

                                                             SC3: www.epa.gov/sc3
                                                                                                             23

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    Conclusion
                      Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond
                      The accomplishments showcased in this report exemplify the culture
                      shift toward a society in which materials are safely reused and recycled
                      and waste is prevented, to the benefit of our partners, our communities,
                      and the environment. These stories also demonstrate the success that
                      can be achieved through public-private partnerships.

                      EPA will continue to demonstrate the tangible ways in which our
                      RCC partners save energy and reduce GHG emissions. We invite
                      everyone—businesses, communities, and individuals—to join us to
                      manage materials for a sustainable future.
24

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Limits on EPA and Partner Participation in the Resource Conservation Challenge Please note that EPA does not endorse
the purchase of products or services of any company or organization mentioned in this update. EPA is authorized to cooperate with
private and public efforts to reduce the adverse effects of releasing solid wastes into the environment and to encourage recycling of industrial
and commercial materials. The  Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) program is open to all companies and organizations that wish to join
the Agency in this endeavor. Press releases and promotional materials may advise the public of the partners' participation in the RCC program
and identify any recognition awards that EPA provides to the partner. However, EPA is prohibited from endorsing the purchase or sale of specific
commercial products or services. Our partners cannot create advertising that expressly or implicitly violates this prohibition and remain a partner
with EPA. All commitments that EPA makes in this program are subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Neither the Agency nor its
partners are under legally binding obligations to continue participation in the program.

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i
   Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305P)
   EPA 530-R-08-005
   www.epa.gov/osw
   March 2008
    ^Recycled/Recyclable - Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on Recycled Paper (Minimum 50% Postconsumer) Process Chlorine Free

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