USDA Agricultural Research Service Northern Plains Agricultural Research

USDA, Agricultural Research Service Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab - Sidney, MT Rural Electronics Recycling Programs How we did it and how you can, too!

An Overview • USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Northern Plains Agric. Research Laboratory, Sidney, MT, is small facility – less than 50 employees. Located in rural Montana with a community of 4, 746 people (county has only 9, 182). • In 2005 NPARL developed an annual grassroots “E-rase your E-waste” community recycling program. • Only second electronic recycling event ever held in Montana, the first in an isolated rural community.

Why We Started Our Program • Wanted to dispose of our own E-waste in an environmentally friendly manner. • Concern for our environment • Anticipation of new regulations • Needed the space! (Had 2+ tons saved up!) • Weren’t many affordable options in our area…then saw article in “Billings Gazette” about a Cheyenne, WY company that recycled electronics. Discovered they also offered a special community collection event rate / program. • Decided to host an event and open it to the community. • Educate the community about E-waste and its toxins and how recycling these products will protect our environment.

Partnering • ARS Safety Specialist Jackie Couture brought the e-waste collection proposal to a monthly meeting of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, which agreed to help. • Then presented information to other County entities. While supportive of the event, no funds were available for it, so used in-kind donations from LEPC members and free advertising wherever available.

Selecting our E-cycler • Made sure they were licensed, insured and bonded. • Checked to ensure they didn’t permit exportation of e-waste to third world countries or use unprotected workers. • Identified all costs, including labor, equipment (scale), transportation, etc. • In 2009 have more resources for finding e-cyclers: – Unicor Electronic recycling www. unicor. gov – http: //www. nsc. org/ehc/epr 2/recycler. html ARS developed an event “tip sheet” (available on our website) that includes info on finding an e-cycler.

Building Community Support • ARS Information Specialist (Beth Redlin) and Safety Specialist (Jackie Couture) worked together to create the “E-rase your E-waste” logo to “brand” the event in the minds of the public. • They produced educational brochures, posters, displays, and later a web page to provide additional information and sent informational letters to businesses and, of course, articles and PSA’s to local media outlets. http: //www. ars. usda. gov/Main/docs. htm? docid=8445

Building Community Support Did in-kind / no-cost promotions: • Sent notices/press releases to local media and various websites and set up exhibits at county fairs. • Contacted local TV channel news shows - appeared on noon show, with reporters following up with coverage of the event and on the nightly news…. wasn’t hard to get them interested. • Over the years have used some more non-traditional vehicles…grocery dividers…inserts into electric bills… both of those offered by e-waste committee members.

Members of Sidney’s “E-rase your E-waste” group with ‘ 07 fair display.

The Process • Applied for an Electronic Waste Collection Event License with Montana DEQ. • MT DEQ and 2 ARS representatives then performed an on-site electronic waste management audit using a checklist downloaded from the federal electronic challenge website. http: //www. federalelectronicschallenge. org/resou rces/eolmngt. htm#three

At right, ARS IT Specialist Kevin Dahl tours the Tattoine facility as part of the on-site inspection team.

2005 “E-rase your E-waste” Event • 2005 unfunded e-waste, collection event in Sidney, MT • Cost to customer: 40 cents per pound • Held public informational meetings – one for targeted businesses and one for the general public. • Received valuable report to use as a template for our event from Tammy Crone, Water Quality Specialist of Bozeman, MT. • E-waste committee distributed brochures, posters, letters to local business and used other low cost efforts to get the word out. Different members of the committee ran off the posters and fliers, while others covered postage. • Press releases, PSA’s and event notices were distributed to local media before and after the event. Local TV and newspaper coverage provided before, during and following the event.

2005 Event Stats • 2 -day event in fall • Collected 8, 385 pounds • 16 individuals / 8 businesses participated • Took short survey from each contributor. • Collected 70 CRT monitors (which can contain up to 6 lbs of lead each). That meant our e-cycling event kept 420 lbs of lead out of the local landfill. • Sent thank you post cards to all participants giving totals.

First Event Gets Noticed • Received several calls/e-mails from people interested in hosting similar events. Prompted us to make our “E-rase your E-waste” information and templates freely available on the ARS, NPARL website to encourage others to e-cycle. • Several communities and schools in MT, ND, SD, LA, VT, TX, and CA have since taken advantage of them, including one event targeting 48, 000 residents of a California city. • MT DEQ also adopted our “E-rase your E-waste” title and artwork to help promote its own e-cycling programs.

Flyer from Elk Grove, CA

2006 Program – Changes / Highlights • Grant options limited…. but we received a generous $800 donation from our local hospital to help defer the cost of recycling for participants. • Used donation to cut e-cycling costs in half for participants. • Also received a $500 donation from Montana DEQ for advertising, which allowed for paid advertisements to promote the 2006 event and our “half-off” sale! • Moved the collection to the fall. At the event took surveys from each e-waste customer, incorporating questions from DEQ. • Gave away “I e-rased my e-waste” buttons to all individuals and appreciation certificates to participating businesses. Also had a picture of our SHC donors in the local newspaper.

2006 Event Stats • Collected 9, 336 pounds • 49 individuals (tripled from ‘ 05) and 13 businesses (also increase from ‘ 05) participated. • 2005 event ARS accounted for 3, 798 lbs. In 2006, ARS accounted for only 1, 019 lbs, with the nearly 3, 000 lb. difference largely made up by community individuals. • Attribute increased participation to discount offered, but also to increased familiarity with the program and the fall collection dates (September vs. June).

2007 Program – Changes / Highlights • Did a back-to-back event with Williston, ND, described as our “Cross-border, Cooperative E-rase Your E-waste Event. ” • Both communities sought donations to help reduce costs for participants. • Shared a weekend, an e-cycler, publicity materials, appeared together on TV noon shows, etc. but also did “our own thing” when it came to seeking/administering donations and operating the actual events.

2007 Event Stats Sidney, MT: • One day – Friday, 8 -6, at ARS • Collected $1, 950. 00 in donations and used $375. 00 for advertising. Rest used to offer 75% off on first 200 lbs. per customer. Ran out by mid-morning. • Collected 18, 460 lbs. from 77 individuals and 25 businesses. • Pounds collected doubled! Needed second truck!

Scenes from Sidney’s 2007 Event

2007 Event Stats Williston, ND: • One day – Saturday, 8 -3, at Wal-Mart • Collected $1, 800. 00 in donations and used $400. 00 for advertising. Offered 50% off first 200 lbs. person up to 7000 lbs in all. All but 11 people received discount. • Collected 11, 522 lbs. also from 102 individuals and businesses.

Scenes from Williston 2007 Event

2008 Program – Changes / Highlights • Once again, combined with Williston, ND, but events ran at the same time. • Working to expand sustain our efforts! – Worked with e-cycler and local Solid Waste Committee to additional drop times and place in August for those unable to make our regular event. – Made a point in our publicity of letting people know what other e-cycling opportunities are out there.

2008 Event Stats • Sidney, MT collected 46, 040 lbs. (includes 21, 045 lbs. from Sidney Public Schools at one of our August collection sites) • Williston, ND’s total: 14, 425 lbs. • A dozen high school students also helped with the Sidney event. Early morning lineup at Sidney.

Community E-waste Totals - Sidney • 2005 Total: Community event kept 8, 385 lbs out of landfill, including: ~ 554 lbs of lead, 0. 14 lbs of mercury and 1, 239 lbs of plastic • 2006 Total: Community event kept 9, 336 lbs out of landfill, including: ~ 916 lbs of lead, 0. 19 lbs of mercury and 2, 092 lbs of plastic • 2007 Total: Community event kept 18, 460 lbs out of landfill, including: ~ 1, 719 lbs of lead, 0. 44 lbs of mercury and 2, 865 lbs of plastic out of landfill. • 2008 Total: Community event kept 46, 040 lbs out of landfill, including: ~ 1, 828 lbs of lead, 0. 40 lbs of mercury and 4, 667 lbs of plastic out of landfill. • Grand Total from community events since 2005 is 82, 221 lbs or 41. 1 tons, which prevented 5, 017 lbs of lead, 1. 17 lbs of Mercury and 10, 863 lbs of plastic from entering the local landfill.

ARS’ E-waste Totals - NPARL USDA-ARS NPARL (Sidney, MT) Estimated Hazardous Material And E-waste Totals: • 2005: recycled 4, 587 lbs, including 282 lbs of lead, 0. 04 lbs of mercury and 394 lbs of plastics kept out of local landfill. • 2006: recycled 1, 019 lbs, including 457 lbs of lead, minimal mercury (. 0004 lbs) and 64 lbs of plastic kept out of local landfill. • 2007: recycled 600 lbs, including 120 lbs of lead, minimal mercury (. 0003 lbs) & 32 lbs of plastics kept out of local landfill. • 2008: recycled 777 lbs, including 200 lbs of lead, minimal amount of mercury (. 0003 lbs) & 16 lbs of plastics kept out of local landfill. • Grand Total: NPARL has kept 6, 983 lbs or 3. 49 tons of e-waste out of our local landfill.

Program Impact - Here and Elsewhere • Obvious environmental benefits, but also extends life of landfill. • Appears to be “tip of the iceberg” – Community support remains strong, with participation growing each year – Local businesses, city have donated money to offset costs for participants ($1900+ in 2008) – Groups across the country have utilized the program’s online resources to host their own electronic recycling events (MI, CA, TX, VT, MT, ND, SD, LA and MS).

Program Impact – In 2009 More communities continue to get involved: • In addition to the joint event with Sidney, organizers in Williston, ND are looking to expand into surrounding communities in 2009 • Glasgow National Weather Service (MT) is adding an event with our help in 2009 • Minot, ND had an event in April 2009 using our materials • Have had inquiries from Lewistown, Glendive (both in MT) and other communities, regarding help with setting up future events

Scene’s from the Minot, ND event • April event put on in Minot, ND by Minot State University Public Health Nursing Program students • 10, 599 lbs collected in 2 -day effort

Program Impact – Spreading the Word • Invited to discuss the program at statewide solid waste meetings in ND and SD • Featured in USDA’s employee newsletter • Invited to speak at special local and national recycling meetings • Invited to participate in webinar on e-cycling for Federal Facilities EMS working Group hosted at ARS headquarters • And more…

Program Impact - The MT Experience • Montana DEQ e-waste collection events have kept 1, 033, 012 pounds of e-waste out of MT landfills since 2005. • Montana DEQ continues to use the “E-rase your E-waste” logo and slogan on their website and for some collection events. • MT DEQ 2006 survey and experiences in Sidney and elsewhere provide some shared insights into e-cycling in rural states: – Respondents willing to pay small amounts to recycle ($5 -$10/lg. item) – Respondents think manufacturers should cover some of the costs, too – Respondents would like to be able to take items to municipal recycling centers, retail stores or charities – Collection events very popular, show don’t need big budgets to e-cycle – National connections helpful, but local partnering most effective

Advice for Other Communities • Have a committee to help with all aspects of the event. • Apply for grants, ask for donations to help lower costs for participants. • Don’t need to spend a lot on advertising. Public announcements are usually free and effective. • Event best held in fall (non-summer) months. • Event should take place in parking lot with 2 egress spots for easy flow of traffic. Ours is held just on edge of community. (May want to use traffic cones to help guide vehicles. )

Other E-cycling Tips / Options • Check with your e-cycler about special rates for schools and/or businesses bringing larger amounts to your event. • Many computer companies also now have recycling programs. • Staples, Best Buy, Sony and Walmart are great sources for event donations (if present in your community) and also have recently added their own recycling programs.

Questions? • For more info: Jackie. Couture@ars. usda. gov • E-rase your E-waste templates available at: http: //www. ars. usda. gov/nparl (Click on “Safety Info” then “E-rase your E-waste” in Left Navigation Bar)