EPA evaluates retail recycling pilot

The pilot, a collaboration between EPA, Staples, Inc., and the Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. (PSI), was held in mid-2004, and was completed recently. The project collected unwanted electronic equipment sold by Staples from both retail and commercial customers, and provided recycling services using “reverse logistics” via Staples’ delivery trucks and its existing product distribution network.

The retail collection model appears to be a viable option to complement and expand the existing eWaste collection infrastructure, although retailers may conclude that nominal user fees would need to be charged to consumers to offset the collection and recycling costs.