Dive Brief:
- Eight months earlier than the company planned, Verizon reached its 2010 target of recycling 2 million pounds of electronic waste. The company also announced another goal, to collect an additional 2 million pounds of e-waste, by 2020.
- Verizon announced it had reached its 2010 goal at its e-waste recycling rally in Wilmington, NC, on Thursday. The company noted it had collected 200,000 pounds of e-waste in the Wilmington area.
- E-waste components include pollutants such as arsenic, lead, mercury and beryllium.
Dive Insight:
Verizon’s e-waste recycling program follows an increasing number of corporate-led efforts to reduce electronic waste. Companies stepping up to collect some of the e-waste they put into the stream include Apple, which in April 2013 launched its e-waste recycling program. The program enables consumers to drop off unwanted Apple devices and receive gift cards in exchange. Verizon and Apple’s e-waste recycling programs are promising, for the entire electronics industry.
