Case Study: Electronic Waste Recycling
Increases Waste Diversion
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board headquarters in Chicago
recycled more than 3,200 pounds of electronic waste in one year, a
nearly 10 percent increase over its baseline the previous year. This
was accomplished by finding additional recycling or repurposing
options for the agency's equipment through the property
management process and the Computers for Learning program.
RRB's electronic waste reuse and recycling is driven by two federal
programs. The agency began donating excess computers in 1997
upon enactment of Executive Order 12999, Computers for
Learning. This order established a registry of schools in need of
computer equipment and streamlined the disposition process.
Because RRB is a small, independent agency with minimal staff, the
Computers for Learning program's efficiency was appealing. The
schools receiving the computer equipment were thrilled and
expressed their
gratitude, which
boosted RRB staff
morale and provided an
incentive to continue
and improve the
initiative. Since 1997,
all surplus desktop
equipment in good
condition has been
donated through the
program.
Most other electronic
equipment, including
televisions, computer
servers and networking
equipment, is recycled
by a certified electronics
The Railroad Retirement Board is in the Lipinski recycler Which ensures
Federal Building in Chicago. that best management
Key Topics
• Electronics recycling.
• Property management.
Results
• Recycled over 3,200 pounds of
electronics.
Facility at a Glance
• Housed in a 12-story building
on a city block in downtown
Chicago.
• Primary federal tenant in a
GSA-owned building
maintained by RRB with
businesses leasing space on
the first floor.
• Small, independent agency,
headquartered in Chicago, IL
with a staff of 940.
• Participant since 2011 in the
FGC water and electronics
categories.
• Recipient of two 2012 EPA
Region 5 FGC Awards: Water
and Electronics.
Sustainable Materials Management
Federal Green Challenge
CHANGING HOW WE THINK ABOUT OUR RESOURCES FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
www.epa.gov/smm
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Waste Diversion Increased
practices are met.
Using certified electronics recyclers offers a way to
assess the environmental, worker health and
security practices of the recyclers. RRB collects the
items, follows property management practices that
might identify other agencies that can reuse them,
packages them for shipment, and acquires cost
proposals from the electronic recyclers to find the
most economical solution.
Finally, RRB rounds out its electronics recycling
activities by sending reusable mobile devices back
to the telecommunications provider where it
receives credit on its bill.
RRB tracks disposition results in GSAXCESS and on
the Computers for Learning website. Electronic
recycling data is uploaded and available to agency
personnel to track and download data and create
reports required by RRB.
While the agency has been successful in its
electronic waste recycling program, the program
has not been without challenges.
One challenge was ensuring consistent and
complete removal of data from equipment hard
drives. To address this, the agency's property
management group met with IT departments to
establish processes and procedures to ensure
compliance with security requirements prior to
placing electronic equipment in surplus storage
areas for recycling.
Another challenge was finding sufficient storage
space for temporarily housing equipment until
recycling occurs. Mobile and utility racks were
adapted to use as much vertical space as possible
and to facilitate efficient transfer of equipment
when retrieved by the receiving party.
Finally, requirements for disposition change. To
hear about these changes, trends in electronics
recycling, and new tools and resources, RRB
property staff attends property management and
disposition training offered by GSA.
About the Federal Green Challenge
The Federal Green Challenge, part of EPA's Sustainable Materials
Management Program, is designed to challenge federal agencies
throughout the country to lead by example in reducing the federal
government's environmental impact. It helps agencies meet obligations
under Executive Orders 13514 and 13423.
In 2012, nearly 300 federal agencies, representing more than 500,000
employees participated in the Federal Green Challenge. Their combined
efforts resulted in an estimated cost savings of more than $31 million to
U.S. taxpayers.
Region 5, Land and Chemicals Division, Materials Management Branch
EPA-905-F-14-006
February 2014
For More
Information
RRB contact:
Sally Mui
312-751-4711
sally.mui@rrb.gov
Federal Green Challenge:
http://epa.gov/fgc
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