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Local Doylestown Resident Recognized for National Achievement

Release Date: 5/22/2003
Contact Information: Joan Schafer, 215-814-5143

Joan Schafer, 215-814-5143

PHILADELPHIA - Doylestown resident Claudette Reed was recently recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for her exemplary accomplishments in the area of hazardous waste cleanup. Recognized by Marianne Horinko, EPA assistant administrator, at the National Notable Achievement Awards presentation held in Washington, D.C., Reed received the prestigious national priority award for her efforts in the recycling and energy category.

As an environmental scientist in EPA’s mid-Atlantic regional office, Reed provided outstanding leadership and management of the eCycling pilot project during 2002, while consistently delivering a high degree of strategic insight and responsibility. She served a key role in building partnerships with both states and industry representatives, and garnered resources for the pilot at high levels within EPA and the state environmental agencies in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Virginia and West Virginia.

The eCycling pilot was the first-of-a-kind collaboration among federal, state and local government agencies and the electronics industry to promote reuse and recycling of old computer equipment, televisions, and electronics.

“It is gratifying to play a vital role in educating millions of residents about the hazards of throwing away unwanted computers and facilitating recycling of electronics in the mid-Atlantic region,” Reed said. “The eCycling program is an example of the kind of success that can be achieved when government, industry, and citizens all come together to work toward shared goals of a healthier environment and improved quality of life.”

To implement the eCycling pilot, Reed took innovative steps in planning a strategy that resulted in a strong, unified team with a shared vision. Her efforts resulted in significant progress in developing recycling markets and demonstrated the feasibility of a multi-state collection and recycling program. Her strong understanding of how to harmonize regulations across state boundaries allowed the program to realize the overall support needed for the program to be successful.

As eCycling project manager, Reed helped establish a vision for the program, developed and implemented goals and objectives, and identified the pilot’s industry partners. Through well-planned and well-executed meetings, Reed maintained the cohesiveness of the multi-stakeholder team and built an enduring relationship between government and industry partners.

The eCycling collection events offered local communities significant savings in disposal fees and reduced negative impacts to public health and the environment.

Since the kickoff of the eCycling project, EPA and the mid-Atlantic states have organized and held over 61 collection events in more than 35 counties. From these events, where local residents dropped-off unwanted electronics, eCycling successfully diverted over 3,100 tons of electronics from the municipal waste stream across the region, including more than 30,000 cathode ray tubes (CRTs), found in computer monitors and televisions known to contain toxic leaded glass. It is expected that the eCycling project will serve as a model for a national solution to properly manage unwanted electronics in this country.

A photo in jpeg format is available.