The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Electronics Industries Alliance (EIA) today announced their support of  “America Recycles Day... A Capital Idea!” to be held November 15 and 16 on the historic National Mall in Washington, D.C. This event, held as part of the national America Recycles Day initiative, marks the first joint federal government and District of Columbia electronic recycling collection effort, open to all federal and district government employees and Washington, D.C. area residents.

“America Recycles Day... A Capital Idea!” encourages government employees and residents of D.C. to bring their old computers and components out of storage and recycle them. Participants can drop off their end-of-life electronics directly in front of the Washington Monument at the collection bins.

America Recycles Day, a nationwide recycling awareness initiative now in its sixth year, includes a variety of simultaneous recycling events across the country.  This national initiative seeks to educate the country about the economic, social and environmental benefits of recycling and buying recycled products.  Information on other America Recycles Day events, both in the D.C. area and across the country, can be found at www.americarecyclesday.org.

"We are encouraged to see both the district and the federal government focusing on electronics recycling as part of their America Recycles Day efforts.  It is important that individuals are aware of the options available to them when it comes time to recycle their end-of-life electronic equipment," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA. 

“We are glad to contribute staff and financial support to this event.  Moving forward, we have organized an important discussion about how to create successful national recycling solutions at Green Saturday held on Saturday, January 11, 2003, at the International CES, the largest trade show in North America."

For information on Green Saturday at the 2003 International CES and the energy and recycling panels, pavilions and exhibits, go to www.cesweb.org.

“Proper recycling is the best environmental option for end-of-life electronics and finding a successful national solution to the issue of electronics recycling is a key priority for our industry,” said Dave McCurdy, president of EIA. “A key component of any successful solution is educating consumers and we applaud America Recycles Day for helping to highlight the importance of electronics recycling to the general public."

To help educate consumers about local reuse and recycling opportunities,  EIA has developed the Consumer Education Initiative (www.eiae.org). The Consumer Education Initiative is the most comprehensive listing of national electronics recycling opportunities and receives an average of 1,000 hits per day.