Projects

Completed Projects

2022

2017

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2015

2014

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2011

2010

2009

2008

Promoting Source Reduction and Increasing the Use of Recycled Materials (EPA Region 3) - Grant
Promoting Source Reduction and Increasing the Use of Recycled Materials through the Green Procurement of Electronics
(EPA Region 3 Source Reduction Assistance Grant Program)

The goal of this project was to promote source reduction and increase the use of recycled materials through the environmentally preferable purchasing of computers by public and private sector institutional purchasers. NERC accomplished this by promoting the use of the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT™) by institutional purchasers in Pennsylvania and Delaware through outreach and education, technical assistance, and demonstrating the environmental benefits of purchasing EPEAT™-qualified products. EPEAT™ is a project spearheaded by the U.S. EPA to help public and private sector institutional purchasers evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, laptops, and monitors based on environmental attributes.

This project also quantified the environmental benefits of green electronics procurement by applying the EPA-funded Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (the EEBC), developed by the University of Tennessee (UoT). The calculation of environmental benefits included reduction in persistent bio-accumulative toxins, energy use, CO2/greenhouse gas emissions, municipal and hazardous solid waste generation; and increase in use of post-consumer content recycled materials.

NERC collaborated in this project with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC).
The project included three specific objectives:
1. Outreach to institutional purchasers to promote the use of EPEAT™. We will provide, outreach, education and directed technical assistance for using EPEAT™, including developing and distributing model procurement language and educational tools, convening teleconferences with web-based support, promoting EPEAT™ through procurement networks such as state procurement associations and NERC's EPPnet.
2. Demonstrate the environmental benefits of purchasing EPEAT™-qualified products by applying the EPA-funded Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (the EEBC), to provide the first-ever demonstration of the environmental benefit of actual and projected purchases of EPEAT™-qualified products by states and an EPA Region. The calculation of environmental benefits will include reduction in persistent bio-accumulative toxins, energy use, CO2/greenhouse gas emissions, municipal and hazardous solid waste generation; and increase in use of post-consumer content recycled materials.
3. Transfer materials and results to promote national scale-up of EPEAT™ and use of the EEBC and replication of the project in other states and regions.
Promoting Source Reduction and Increasing the Use of Recycled Materials (EPA Region 1) - Grant
Recycling Makes Sen$e – Town, School, and Business Recycling Project - Grant