EPA Invests in Environmental Justice Projects

Environmental safety has been a longstanding issue, and recently, the U.S. EPA announced $128 million in funding for 186 different environmental justice projects, including waste diversion, illegal dumping prevention, community recycling efforts, and electronics recycling. 

One hundred eighty-six projects led by community groups and local governments were chosen. Under the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving program, community-based organizations received between $150,000 and $500,000, and local governments received up to $1 million as part of the Government-to-Government funding. 

The new grants are part of a funding pool from $2.8 billion received by the EPA from the Inflation Reduction Act, the EPA’s first time awarding funds under the new community and government programs. 

Projects funded in Tennessee include recycling roundup dropoff programs to divert items such as polypropylene food storage containers, glass bottles, mattresses, electronics, and batteries from landfills. 

Electronic waste makes up 70 percent of the world’s toxic waste, and many are unaware of the severe consequences of improper e-waste disposition. Electronics such as smartphones and watches, tablets, laptops, e-readers, gaming devices, and vape pens are manufactured with precious metals that leak toxic chemicals when left in landfills for too long. Those chemicals will eventually soak into the soil and pollute groundwater, which will contaminate the surrounding water supply. 

Environmental activists have lobbied for more government action on environmental issues for years, and according to officials, the EPA plans to announce recipients of more environmental justice-related grants before the end of the year, including $550 million in funding from its Thriving Communities grantmaking program, and $200 million in technical assistance for community-based organizations. 

Other programs include community outreach efforts to increase recycling participation and funding to support green jobs programs to identify waste diversion. 

Waste prevention is critical in reducing the amount of waste the world generates, and e-waste recycling is an environmentally friendly method of disposition that not only protects the environment but also maximizes the value of retired IT assets. 

IT asset disposition enterprises such as HOBI collect retired electronics and ensure they are disposed of properly via e-recycling. With more than 30 years of industry experience, HOBI focuses on maximizing economic return and mitigating environmental liability in every step of the disposition process. 

For more information about our ITAD services, call 817-814-2620 or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.