MRM Recycling Making News

November 10, 2009

MRM has won the Plug-In To eCycling’s TV Recycling Challenge, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program. The TV Recycling Challenge is a national competition started this year, calling upon television manufacturers and electronics retailers to partner in creative ways to increase responsible recycling and collection practices for end-of-life TVs in 2009 and beyond.

MRM was tapped for the honor over several other programs after being evaluated on the basis of its partnerships; innovation; longevity; consumer outreach; accessibility; pounds of TVs collected; and ability to ensure that responsible recycling practices are followed. In making the award, EPA cited MRM’s “wide reach” and “different approaches to collecting TVs, including working with charities and self storage units.”

"By participating in the TV recycling Challenge, companies like MRM demonstrate leadership and innovation in conserving energy and resources through recycling electronics,” said Matt Hale, Director, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “MRM is to be commended for providing people opportunities to recycle, especially at a time when people were increasingly looking for ways to safely get rid of their old TVs."

The Challenge was created this year by the EPA to raise public awareness of the importance of responsible recycling of televisions and to recognize significant achievement by manufacturers and retailers in providing convenient and consistent ways for consumers to safely recycle their old TVs. Overall, since the Plug-In To eCycling program began in 2003, partners have recycled more than 200 million pounds of electronics, including televisions as well as computers and cell phones.

“MRM is thrilled and honored to receive this prestigious award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, recognizing our commitment to properly recycle televisions and our program’s success in making it convenient for consumers to do so,” said David Thompson, MRM President. “The MRM program is designed to be easily scalable, and in its first three years alone has established some 390 drop-off sites located throughout all 50 states, and we are continuing grow both the number of recycling collection sites and the number of manufacturers who use our MRM’s services.”

 

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November 20, 2008

MRM ADDS NEW SITES IN TEXAS TO ITS RECYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE

AUSTIN, TX  -- Today MRM, announced a new agreement with Goodwill Industries of Central Texas that significantly expands MRM’s recycling infrastructure in Texas. Under the program, end-of-life televisions from Panasonic, Sharp or Toshiba dropped off at any one of Goodwill’s 35 locations across 15 counties in central Texas will be responsibly recycled at no charge to the consumer.

“MRM is pleased to work with Goodwill in Central Texas to provide consumers with convenient recycling opportunities,” said David Thompson, MRM President. “MRM continues to focus on enhancing the environmental sustainability of individual company brands and product offerings through convenient, environmentally sound and efficient recycling.”

Products collected through Goodwill of Central Texas will be recycled responsibly--in accordance with the MRM Recycling Ethic* -- by Eco-International in Houston, Texas.

With the addition of Goodwill’s 35 locations in central Texas to the drop-off sites MRM already operates in Fort Worth and Houston, MRM now offers more recycling opportunities than any other consumer electronics manufacturer network in Texas.

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October 30, 2008

MRM LAUNCHES NATIONAL RECYCLING INITIATIVE

MRM will begin creating a national recycling infrastructure that manufacturers can utilize to provide convenient recycling opportunities for their customers. Panasonic Corporation of North America, Sharp Electronics Corporation and Toshiba America Consumer Products, LLC, will be the first companies to utilize this expanded recycling service to operate their individual manufacturer recycling programs. MRM’s goal is to address America’s e-waste recycling needs most efficiently by bringing the electronic product manufacturing community together into a unified voluntary effort.

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 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. 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,” said 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,” said Tricia Conroy, MRM’s Executive Director. “Our consolidation and management services make electronics recycling more convenient and accessible for both consumers and manufacturers.”

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.

Building on its commitment to responsible recycling, MRM, in this first phase of its expansion, will utilize the services of two leading recyclers—CRT Processing, based in Janesville, Wisconsin, and ECO-International, headquartered in Vestal, New York. With these recyclers and their collection infrastructure, the MRM network will encompass over 160 collection sites and several other collection partners across 10 states. A list of participating sites will be available here by November 1.

“MRM looks forward to working with recycling stakeholders and electronic manufacturers themselves to make our expanded services a success,” said Ms. Conroy.

See the complete press release announcing the launching of a national recycling initiative here.

See Panasonic of America's related press release here.

See Sharp Electronics related press releases here.

October 14, 2008

OREGON RECYCLING PROGRAM STARTS EARLY - MRM AND CRT-PROCESSING ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF NEW RECYCLING PROGRAM

PORTLAND, OR – Based on preliminary approval by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality of its new state-wide Oregon program, the Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company, LLC (“MRM”) and CRT Processing, LLC, today announced the early start-up of the MRM Group Manufacturer Plan, three months in advance of the state-mandated start-up date.

Working with 21 leading electronics manufacturers, MRM is scheduled to operate the largest electronic recycling program in Oregon. The first three months of the program’s operation will be used to test its performance, and will be funded by Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba and CRT Processing. Beginning in January 2009, financing for the program will come from the 21 participating manufacturers.

 

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September 17, 2008

MANUFACTURER-LED RECYCLING VENTURE LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE TO ASSIST COMPANIES IN MEETING STATE RECYCLING REQUIREMENTS

Three The Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company, LLC (MRM), is pleased to announce a new Web site, which provides details about the company’s expanding recycling activities. The MRM Web site – www.MRMrecycling.com – is designed to assist manufacturers in meeting the compliance requirements of the 16 recently enacted state recycling laws, many of which will come into effect in 2009 and 2010.

Panasonic Corporation of North America, Sharp Electronics Corporation and Toshiba America Consumer Products, LLC formed MRM as a joint venture to manage collection and recycling programs in the United States. The company began initial operations in Minnesota in September 2007 to manage collection and recycling programs in the United States.

The MRM Web site is built around a unique, copyrighted compliance calendar that provides manufacturers with a simplified overview of registration, reporting and collection program requirements organized by date and state. “The MRM calendar is designed to put all manufacturer requirements in one, easy-to-understand format, and advise manufacturers of the turn-key solutions that MRM is developing,” said MRM President David A. Thompson.

 

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June 19, 2008

MRM leads the state in manufacturer representation. This is an opportunity for e-waste collectors to partner with MRM as an official e-waste collection program. See the Oregon state page for details on how to sign up your organization.

January 7, 2008

TOP ELECTRONIC BRANDS FORM NEW RECYCLING COMPANY

Three leading electronics brands have established a new electronic product recycling management company, Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company, LLC (MRM), to manage collection and recycling programs in the United States. The new company’s first activities are focused on providing cost-effective services to manufacturers who must satisfy the recently enacted requirements in Minnesota for the recycling of used electronic products.

 

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