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Waste Commission of Scott County Certified as a “Responsible Recycler”

The Waste Commission of Scott County’s Electronic De-Manufacturing Facility is now R2-Certified. So, what does that mean? The R2 – or Responsible Re...

The Waste Commission of Scott County's Electronic De-Manufacturing Facility is now R2-Certified. So, what does that mean?

The R2 - or Responsible Recycling - Standard means workers know how to recycle "e-waste" safety in a way that won't hurt the environment. Old electronics, like console televisions and computer towers, contain toxic materials in the circuit board, batteries, florescent bulbs, and PCBs - all which can be harmful if they're thrown away and not recycled.

"E-Waste is a concern globally," says Erin Vorac, Communications Coordinator with the Waste Commission of Scott County. "It contains heavy metals like lead and mercury so the certification proves that we're responsibly handling that materials internally and when we ship it out to our end markets we also audit them to make sure they're handling it and it's not contaminating the waterways and the environment in other countries."

The Electronic De-Manufacturing Facility is the first public agency in the world and the only agency in the state of Iowa to achieve the certification.The facility has processed more than 900 pound of electronics since it opened in 2005.

On Thursday, August 23rd, community leaders held a ribbon cutting and open house to celebrate the achievement. News 8's John David will have more tonight on News 8 at 5pm and 6pm.

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