State of Maine Recognized for Environmental Accomplishments
By George MacDonald, State Planning Office
The State of Maine has received silver level recognition from a Northeast program—the State Electronics Challenge—for its environmental stewardship of computer equipment in 2009; the second year it has been so recognized.
Through its efforts to buy “green” computers and properly manage unwanted computer equipment at the end-of-life, the State has avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to almost 200 cars from the roads and enough energy savings to power 280 Maine homes. And, it did it by buying only computers and monitors that met the high environmental standards defined by the Electronics Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®), extending the life of computers through reuse programs, and recycling obsolete equipment at facilities that adhere to environmentally sound management practices.
By purchasing “green” computers, the State of Maine avoided the use of 262 pounds of toxic materials such as lead and mercury in the manufacture of new computers, while recycling computers at the end-of-life avoided the generation of more than 16 tons of hazardous waste.
The State Electronics Challenge (SEC) is a program that assists state, regional, and local governments in the Northeast to reduce the environmental impact of their computers. It annually recognizes the accomplishments of Partner organizations.
The SEC is a voluntary program developed and administered by the Northeast Recycling Council. The SEC provides an opportunity for state, regional, and local government to reduce the environmental impact of the more than $35 billion worth of technology equipment purchased annually by state and local governments in the U.S. Currently, 38 state, regional, and local government agencies, collectively employing almost 50,000 people, have joined the SEC as Partners. For more information on the SEC, including a list of current Partner organizations, visit http://www.stateelectronicschallenge.net .
For more information, contact: Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director, Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. 802-254-3636, lynn@nerc.org or Steven T. Conary, Maine’s Office of Information Technology, at 207-624-9932 or by email at Steven.T.Conary@maine.gov
