Allan Gerlat, News Editor

March 9, 2012

1 Min Read
GSA Establishes Federal Policy on E-Waste Recycling and Disposal

All federal agencies have been banned from disposing of electronic waste in landfills or incinerators.

The policy, established by the General Services Administration (GSA), also directs e-waste to certified companies for recycling, also providing opportunities for the e-waste industry, said GSA Administrator Martha Johnson in a news release.

The new policy, outlined in a bulletin to federal agencies, directs them to reuse electronics as much as possible and then turn non-working products over to certified e-waste recyclers. As electronic items reach the end of their use, asset managers should offer these products for reuse at other agencies, schools, state and local governments, or put them up for sale.

Additionally, the GSA encourages those receiving used government electronics to follow the same reuse and certified recycling standards as the U.S. government.   

 “The federal government as a whole is the nation’s largest consumer of electronics, and through this policy it will now be a more responsible user of electronics,” Johnson said. “We are ensuring that electronics from federal agencies will be reused or sent to certified e-waste recycling plants.”

The move is the first step in the Obama Administration’s national strategy to set sustainability goals for federal agencies.

About the Author(s)

Allan Gerlat

News Editor, Waste360

Allan Gerlat joined the Waste360 staff in September 2011 as news editor. He was the editor of Waste & Recycling News for the first 16 years of its history, and under his guidance the publication won 27 national and regional awards.

Before Waste & Recycling News, Allan worked at another Crain Communications publication, Rubber & Plastics News, which covers rubber product manufacturing. He began with the publication as associate editor and eventually became managing editor, a position he held for nine years.

Allan is a graduate of Ohio University, where he earned a BS in journalism. He is based in Sagamore Hills, in northeast Ohio.

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