E.P.A. and Temple University to Participate

PHILADELPHIA (July 28, 2009) -- The E.P.A.'s mid-Atlantic region and Temple University will be joining forces on presenting an innovative solution to obsolete electronics, also called e-waste, at the July 29 Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania Conference, to be held in Scranton, Pa.

As our nation and the E.P.A. grapple with how to increase the overall U.S. electronics recycling rate of 18 percent and determine how to best reduce, reuse and recycle our e-waste, Jonathan Latko, manager of Temple University's Computer Recycling Center, has developed one approach to the e-waste problem that benefits not only the environment, but also the economic well-being of the university, its students, area schools and the community.

Latko will present the solution he implemented at Temple University during a panel discussion in the College and University Recycling Council session of the conference, which will be moderated by Donna McGowan, an E.P.A. environmental scientist.

In the past Temple University would collect old electronic equipment and turn it over to a local electronics dealer at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars a year.

But Latko, a graduate student in 2003 when he created his recycling idea, and Temple acknowledged that much of the old equipment still had potential value if resources could be allocated to clearing software, data and trouble shooting the hardware. He created the Computer Recycling Center at Temple from scratch, utilizing the assistance of students to develop the Center.

Since its inception, the Computer Recycling Center has recycled thousands of computers, avoiding the need to dispose of electronic equipment in landfills. The reuse which the center has facilitated has also helped to reduce energy consumption, conserve natural resources and prevent the emission of greenhouse gases which are attributed to climate change. Students benefit from access to computers at reduced costs and many are donated to schools and community organizations.

Temple University would be happy to share its computer recycling plan with other colleges and universities to establish similar computer recycling centers.

For more information on the conference, go to http://www.proprecycles.org/PROP%20Conferences.html

More information on ecycling can be found at www.epa.gov/ecycle or by contacting Dan Gallo at 215-814-2091.

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