WASTE MANAGEMENT SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2014 36GROWING RECYCLINGEXPANDING RECYCLING OFHARD-TO-HANDLE MATERIALSRecycling everything we can requiresgoing beyond the cart or bin on the curb.To help our residential and commercialcustomers avoid tossing hard-to-recycleitems in the trash, we have several initiativesdesigned to improve product reuse,recovery and recycling.Recycling Electronic WasteOver the past several years, recyclingoptions for cell phones, ink and tonercartridges, computers and other electronicshave increased. Many of theseproducts or their component parts cannow be recycled or reused. But whendisposed of improperly, they can leaktoxins into the environment.Waste Management operates severalhousehold product recovery businesses,and in recent years we began consolidatingthem under one organizationalumbrella called the Product RecoveryGroup. Our Product Recovery Groupnow includes the following:• Tracker Services, which providesmail-in recycling for compactfluorescent bulbs, fluorescent tubes,batteries, small electronics and othercommon wastes• ReCommerce, which resells workingelectronic devices — cell phones,tablets, computers, iPods, etc. — aswell as ink jet printers and cartridges• E-cycling, which tears electronicsdown to individual parts and sellsthem for their commodity valueIn 2013, Waste Management recycledor resold 35,235 tons of these items,collected from cities, counties, andcommercial and corporate partnersacross North America.Our Loveland, Colorado, ReCommercefacility processes cell phones, laptopcomputers, iPods, tablets, and ink jetand toner cartridges for recycling orresale. The site earned ResponsibleRecycling (R2) and Recycling IndustryOperating Standard (RIOS) certifications.R2/RIOS is a major certificationprocess that covers, among other things,the way that e-waste is separated fromtraditional waste streams to ensure thatmaterials such as lead, mercury andcadmium are handled properly.IN 2013, RECOMMERCE PROCESSED:1.4Mcell phones2.4Mink jet andtoner cartridges90Klaptop computers4Ktablets27KiPods
WASTE MANAGEMENT SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2014 37GROWING RECYCLINGPRODUCT RECOVERY GROUP OPERATIONSSurrey, British ColumbiaEdmonton, AlbertaCalgary, AlbertaAuburn, WALaval, QuebecJanesville, WIBrampton & Barrie,OntarioHolliston, MASaddle Brook, NJFresno, CALoveland, CO (2 Facilities)Aurora, COPlainfield, INGlendale, AZPhoenix, AZFlower Mound, TXBadin, NCWillamston, SCWM ReCommerce OperationsWM Lamptracker ProcessingWM Consolidation CenterWM Certified eWaste PartnerOur electronics recycling facilities havealso earned the Basel Action NetworkeStewards certification, as well as ISO9001 and 14001 certifications. Thesekinds of external verification of facilities’environmental and social practices areimportant to customers with sustainabilityand risk mitigation programs.We work to ensure employee recyclingof electronics as well, with an internalelectronics recycling program for WasteManagement offices.
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