NCER, CEA Join Efforts

The National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER), Wood Park, W.Va., and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Arlington, have joined together to form the National Electronics Recycling Infrastructure Clearinghouse (NERIC) initiative. Through NERIC, the organizations will assist in the development of a national electronics recycling infrastructure.

In a joint press release, NCER and CEA say the initiative “represents a key step in the ultimate formation of a harmonized system for managing used electronics across the nation.”

Jason Linnell, executive director of the NCER, says, "This initiative encompasses many of the important principles embraced by the NCER since its formation last year, which are active participation of the electronics industry, research and education on the benefits of multi-state harmonization of recycling systems and cooperative action among public and private sector stakeholder groups."

Parket Brugge, CEA senior director and environmental counsel, says, "CEA recognizes there is still much to learn in the development of efficient and sustainable electronics recycling policies. We expect the NERIC initiative to provide key information to a range of stakeholders interested in electronics recycling systems.” He adds, “CEA is pleased to support this important research and education effort.”

The NERIC Web site at www.ecyclingresource.org will track the initiative’s progress. On the site, electronics recycling stakeholders can find information on the initial NERIC projects, such as information and analysis on the data necessary for a consistent national system (e.g., projected collection rates, product weight assumptions, collection infrastructure models) designed to promote system harmonization across states and research and education on the establishment of a private-sector third-party organization as an alternative to recycling system administration, avoiding new government bureaucracies.