Greentech Lead America: ECOvanta, the e-waste recycling subsidiary of Covanta Energy Corporation, has formed partnership with Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA) to provide services to its household hazardous waste (HHW) recycling facility.
ECOvanta will transport the HHW Facility’s e-waste, including computers, monitors, mobile phones, printers and televisions to its Philadelphia facility for dismantling, shredding or aggregating for reuse and recycling.
As an ISO 14001:2004 certified and a member of the National Association for Information Destruction, ECOvanta is obliged to sell or recycle each scrap as a processed commodity. The company also holds e-Stewards and Responsible Recycling (R2) environmental certifications, which signify responsible electronic disposal.
Covanta and LCSWMA have been partners since early 1990s.
Covanta operates LCSWMA’s Waste-to-Energy Facility, also located in Lancaster County, which processes 1,200 tons-per-day of municipal solid waste and generates 35.7 megawatts of clean, renewable energy.
This new agreement for e-waste management will ensure that the 1.3 million pounds of e-waste collected by LCSWMA annually is recycled responsibly and sustainably.
With over three million tons of electronics generated each year, e-waste is the fastest growing segment of the municipal waste stream in the U.S. However, only 15 percent is recovered for recycling. The remaining e-waste typically ends up in landfills.
Considering the potential hazards of the toxic components contained in electronic items, Pennsylvania State has introduced a new law called the Covered Devices Recycling Act prohibits residents from disposing of electronic devices in the trash.