WASHINGTON -- LG Electronics USA was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the 2015 Gold Tier Award, the top-level recognition in the EPA's Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Challenge.
The Gold Tier Award recognizes LG's significant contributions to the EPA's SMM Electronics Challenge goals by increasing the amount of used electronics collected for reuse and recycle, striving to send 100 percent of used electronics collected to certified third-party recyclers, and publicly sharing detailed information about its electronic management practices. According to the EPA, the award also recognizes "LG's dedication to increasing consumer awareness about the importance of third-party certified recycling through nationwide education and outreach efforts."
The 2015 award recognizes LG Electronics USA's collection and responsible recycling of nearly 25,000 tons of used electronics, diverting solid waste from landfills. This avoided the release of the equivalent of more than 64,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. According to the EPA, the positive environmental impact of LG's responsible recycling is equal to taking 12,300 passenger cars off the road for a year or saving enough energy to power more than 8,000 U.S. homes for a year.
At collection events, LG encourages consumers to replace recycled electronics with new, more energy efficient ENERGY STAR® certified LG TVs and monitors, Cho added.
Supporting its commitment to responsible recycling, LG Electronics Inc. is the world's first "Global e-Stewards Enterprise." The e-Stewards standard, developed by the Basel Action Network, is the world's most rigorous certification program for electronics recyclers. It prevents the export and dumping of toxic electronic waste in developing countries and calls for safeguards to protect private data and to ensure that recycling plant workers are not exposed to toxic materials.
This special recognition from the EPA comes on the heels of other electronics recycling honors for LG, including the e-Cycling Initiative Leader Award from the Consumer Technology Association and the Design for Recycling® (DfR) Award from the world's leading recycling industry group, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. ISRI's highest honor recognizes LG for developing products such as 4K Ultra HD OLED and LED TVs with greener features designed to reduce the environmental load at every stage of the product lifecycle.
Learn more about LG's responsible electronics recycling programs and overall sustainability efforts by visiting http://www.lgrecyclingprogram.com
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