As part of America Recycles Day (ARD) 2005, numerous agencies such as the OFEE, the US EPA, the Department of Justice, and several other Federal partners announced a special challenge to encourage all Federal facilities to lead by example and recycle electronics, or donate their used computers and other electronic equipment to local schools or Hurricanes Katrina and Rita relief efforts. To encourage Federal facilities and agencies to improve their used electronics management, OFEE launched the Federal Electronics Recycling and Reuse Challenge. This program began on November 15, 2005, America Recycles Day, and concludes on April 22, 2006, Earth Day. Selected facilities will receive national recognition based on the amount of electronics recycled or donated during the five-month period between ARD 2005 and Earth Day 2006.

On ARD, EPA HQ and seven EPA Regional offices held electronics collection events in their respective cities during which 200 pallets containing over 200,000 pounds of electronics were collected by READ contactors and recycled in an environmentally friendly manner. At the EPA Headquarters Facility, the ERRC pick-up event commenced with a series of speaches from Khary Cauthen, Special Assistant to the Chairman of the White House Council on Envornmental Quality (CEQ); Dana Arnold, Chief of Staff of the OFEE; Luis Luna, Assistant Administrator of EPA's Office of Administration and Resources Management; Paul Corts, Assistant Attorney General of Administration for the Department of Justice; Oliver Voss, EPA's READ Service Center Manager; and Denise Hicks, Program Manager for GSA's Computers for Learning program.

While each speaker discussed different aspects of electronics recycling and reuse, including several facts associated with the impact improper disposition of obsolete electroncis has on the environment, they also stressed the importance of the Federal Government demonstrating a leadership role in electronics stewardship, particularly at the end of its useful life. The following pictures were taken at the OFEE ERRC kick-off event as well as EPA facilities throughout the country on November 15, 2005.

Oliver Voss, Michael Levitino, Bill Angrick and Luis Luna at the America Recycles Day ERRC kick-off.

Additional America Recyles Day Photos

OFEE ERRC Letter dated October 20, 2005, (About PDF)

OFEE ERRC Results Letter dated April 22, 2006, (About PDF)