Hosting an electronic waste recycling day for Postal Service™ employees is as simple as following the seven steps below. Before initiating your event, there are two prerequisites for success:
Step 1: Obtain facility management commitment.
Step 2: Use the USPS BlueEarth™ Federal Recycling Program (see companion article on page 4) or identify a reputable eRecycler about a FREE eCycle collection event. If you choose a local eRecycler, they must agree in writing to the following terms:
n No Cost to USPS.
n Provide guidance to employees as to which eWaste is eligible for recycling.
n Must not impact USPS® mail operations.
n Share data on the amount collected for recycling.
n Comply with R2 or E-steward certification programs:
n A list of R2 certified recyclers can be found at the R2 Solutions website: http://www.r2solutions.org/.
n A list of E-steward certified recyclers can be found at the E-stewards website: http://e-stewards.org/
.
Once you have accomplished the first two steps, there are only five more tasks to complete to host a successful eWaste recycling event:
Step 3: Set a date and time for the eCycling event. Remember, you can hold this event after Earth Day if it is more convenient for your employees and USPS operations.
Step 4: Post a notice of the eCycling event that is mutually acceptable to the facility manager and the eWaste recycler. Sample notices are available on the Office of Sustainability Earth Day website.
Step 5: Hold your event. Make sure you have sufficient staff available to provide guidance on electronic equipment recycling procedures, keep order among those waiting in line, coordinate storage of the recyclables, and ensure adequate parking.
Step 6: Make sure the eCycler has taken everything from your site.
Step 7: Request that the eCycler provide a list of the type (e.g. computers, monitors, cell phones, etc) and amount of eWaste collected. Share results with the USPS Office of Sustainability by emailing
sustainability@usps.gov.
Download an employee notice and eWaste guidance to promote electronic waste recycling at your facility from the Office of Sustainability website at: http://blue.usps.gov/sustainability/earthday.htm.
— Corporate Sustainability Initiatives,
Office of Sustainability, 4-3-14
