MRM Launches National Recycling Initiative

Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Co. (MRM), a provider of e-scrap recycling management services to manufacturers, has announced it will begin creating a national recycling infrastructure that manufacturers can use to provide convenient recycling opportunities for their customers.

Panasonic Corp. of North America, Sharp Electronics Corp. and Toshiba America Consumer Products will be the first companies to use this expanded recycling service to operate their individual manufacturer recycling programs, according to the press release.

MRM’s goal is to address America’s e-scrap recycling needs most efficiently by bringing the electronic product manufacturing community together into a unified voluntary effort, the company says.

This new initiative will enable MRM to expand its operations beyond its current compliance management activities in Minnesota and Texas.

Now entering its second year of operations, MRM has successfully implemented and currently manages recycling services in these two states for some 25 individual electronics manufacturers, the press release says.

The first phase of the MRM nationwide ramp-up will kick off in November with management of electronics recycling for manufacturers in several additional states, including California, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. MRM will continue its expansion until its services cover all 50 states, the company says. Additional details on MRM’s plans will be available in January 2009.

“MRM is focused on enhancing the sustainability of individual company brands and product offerings through convenient, environmentally sound and efficient recycling,” says MRM President David Thompson. “This type of collaborative effort is essential to providing consumers with convenient recycling opportunities and to achieving practical, long-term solutions.”

“The power of MRM's platform is its capacity to help the electronics industry move beyond individual company programs that focus on only a single company brand, often at separate, widely dispersed and costly collection locations, to make use of a common efficient system,” says Tricia Conroy, MRM’s executive director.

MRM is open to support the programs of all manufacturers, and already works with governments, retailers, non-profits and private waste management companies to offer consumers convenience, while minimizing the environmental burden associated with driving long distances to drop off electronic products for recycling, the company says.

MRM, in this first phase of its expansion, will use the services of two recyclers, CRT-Processing, based in Janesville, Wis., and ECO-International, headquartered in Vestal, New York. With these recyclers and their collection infrastructure, the MRM network will encompass more than 160 collection sites and several other collection partners across 10 states, according to the press release.

A list of participating sites will be available by Nov. 1 at www.MRMrecycling.com.