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Bysurplusexchange

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

(DNR) Grant

Title: Missouri Obsolete and End of Life Electronics

Project

Project Number: 99013

 

Purpose:

To divert an additional estimated 4,000 tons of solid

non-hazardous waste, in the form of obsolete and end-of-life business

and household consumer

  1. Developing, on a state-wide basis, the forum for implementing

    solutions

  2. Promoting, developing and coordinating a  state-wide

    program for the effective collection and processing

  3. Providing specific reuse, recycling and business training,

    on a statewide basis, to those Missouri regions and municipalities wanting

    to develop business equipment reuse and recycling programs for the purpose

    of diverting these targeted electronics from the waste stream.

Project

Though the proposed project does include a state-wide

Electronics Recycling and Reuse Forum, this project is not just about

providing theoretical reuse and recycling ideas.  The intent is to

develop and provide the State of Missouri regions and municipalities with

proven reuse programs and strategies that are long term solutions for

reducing waste and conserving resources.  Surplus Exchange will not

only draw upon its 15 years of reuse and recycling expertise, but will

also utilize the expertise of other Missouri and national reuse and recycling

solution providers, including The Reuse Development Organization (ReDO),

and the EPA, to accomplish

Through this project, The Surplus Exchange is committed

to not only raising the level of awareness about electronics reuse and

recycling, but to also provide programs that work, and hands-on training

for those municipalities and regions wanting to make more

  1. Electronic Reuse and
    • A) Sponsoring a one day State-Wide Electronics

      Reuse and Recycling Forum.  The Forum will be open to all state

      regions and municipalities, and will be presented by regional and

      national electronics reuse and recycling experts (including the Reuse

      Development Organization) whose training segments will help create

      a coordinated state-wide effort. The Forum will showcase electronics

      reuse and recycling programs and strategies currently in operation,

      which successfully address the obsolete, and end-of-life electronics

      concerns. Secondly, it is our intent to utilize this aspect of the

      proposal to further coordinate statewide

  2. Showing participants how to add simple, or complex

    electronics reuse and recycling strategies to their existing municipal

    and county collection

  3. Coordinating state-wide collection consolidation points,

    and unified sales to major recyclers in order to “cut-down”

    on the high costs associated in particular, coordinating all efforts

    for the environmentally sound disposal of the more problematic electronics

    such as broken monitors, broken and/obsolete terminals, broken TV’s,

    and “other” recyclable electronics

Developing product stewardship initiatives, for the purpose

of presenting the reuse of electronic products as a more attractive and

feasible alternative

  • Developing and distributing a State of Missouri Electronics

    Reuse and Recycling Guide. 

    1. This on-line Businesses and programs throughout

      the state which are sources for businesses

    2. Non-profit organizations throughout the state,

      which are in need of reusable

    3. Descriptions of strategies for businesses and

      individuals to follow, which will help them, get maximum, extended

      use out of their existing electronics

    4. Specific electronics events such as “Second

      Chance Week” (see below),

C) As part of America Recycles Day, this project will

help the Solid Waste Management Districts develop and promote “Second

Chance Week” – a week of activities promoting electronics reuse as

a means to reduce waste by finding second lives for what are perceived

as obsolete and end-of-life electronics.  There are many benefits

associated with Second Chance Week, such as increasing the number of useful

donations to non-profits, charities and schools, as well as providing

bargain hunters, thrift store shoppers, re-users and recyclers more opportunities

to purchase inexpensive reusable electronic items. It is not            

our intent to reinvent the wheel, we will model our Second Chance Week

activitiesafter the very

2)

A) Successful electronics reuse and recycling projects

throughout the country come in many forms, and provide a variety of services

and programs.  The common thread is that each project is based on

their community’s specific needs and available resources.  And like

with any “good business”, needs and resources are first

Based on each districts” population and their number

of businesses, not everyone can justify operating a full-service business

equipment reuse and recycling center such as The Surplus Exchange. 

Even so, other forms of electronics reuse and recycling programs are feasible,

and can impact the amounts of electronics entering the landfill. 

1)

Arrangements have been made, contingent upon receiving

funding for this project, with

Donna Burris, Region D, SWMD, and Terry Gilman, Region

N, SWMD for the development of one weekend electronics drop and swap program

for each of these SWMDs. Each program will allow area individuals and

businesses to bring their reusable and broken electronics (no hazardous

materials) to the collection site. Reusable electronics will be set aside

for verifiable non-profit organizations and their constituents to have

on a donation basis, and for the general public to purchase.  Revenue

realized from these sales will be utilized to fund future drop and swap

programs, or for however the SWMD deems appropriate.  Those electronics

which are not readily reusable will be loaded on the Surplus Exchange

recycling truck and brought to our facility for processing and shipping

to major regional and national recycling companies. In addition, Surplus

Exchange, along with volunteers from the participating region, will provide

the trained technical staff to help test the collected

2) For other municipalities or districts, a business

equipment reuse and recycling center is appropriate, and can be sustained. >For

this project, Region L SWMD, (based on their population and the number

of businesses in their district), has identified themselves as a viable

candidate for a successful business equipment reuse and recycling center. 

Surplus Exchange proposes to consult with Region L, and provide the expertise

and business planning skills specific to this industry,

Surplus Exchange will provide 100 hours of contact time

(both on site and phone) for this aspect of the project.  A business

¥ Market Analysis (identifying amounts of materials available,

and

¥ Organizational Structure and Administration (how will

the business

¥ Product and Service Descriptions (will it be a general

business equipment center, or just electronics; what other related programs

or

 

In addition, Surplus Exchange will share with Region

L its fifteen-year history

¥ Developing community occupational and educational programs

based

It is the intent for both of these pilot projects to

provide a beginning structure for an actual (not just theoretical) unified

and statewide, electronics reuse and recycling program.  We would

like to show that Missouri could make more electronics reuse and recycling

happen faster, efficiently and in a cost effective manner