National Environmental Leadership Program – the State Electronics Challenge -Recognizes the City of Columbia, South Carolina as a 2017 Silver Award Winner
April 17, 2017
The City of Columbia, South Carolina today received a Silver award for its achievements in the State Electronics Challenge; a comprehensive nationwide environmental sustainability initiative that currently reaches more than 223,000 employees in 39 states. The City was recognized for its accomplishments in green procurement and the responsible reuse and recycling of electronic office equipment in 2016.
“This is Columbia’s first year of participating in the Challenge and it has already demonstrated an outstanding commitment to environmental leadership,” commented Lynn Rubinstein, State Electronics Challenge Program Manager. She added that “the Columbia is one of 17 organizations nationally being recognized this year and the only one in South Carolina.”
As a result of these environmental initiatives, in 2016 the City of Columbia saved enough energy to power 527 households per year, avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 757 cars from the road per year, as well as avoiding the generation of almost 8,000 pounds of hazardous waste – equivalent to the weight of 29 refrigerators.
“Information Technology’s work impacts the entire City, so it’s important for us to lead the way in sustainable purchasing, operation and disposal of our equipment” said Terence Murchison, City of Columbia Information Technology department head. “Because we were already following so many SEC recommendations, it didn’t cost anything, and we might even save some money, too. And we’re shooting for gold next year.”
A full list of winners and their environmental accomplishments can be found on the State Electronics Challenge website (www.stateelectronicschallenge.net).
“The State Electronics Challenge provides state, tribal, regional and local agencies, as well as schools, colleges and universities and non-profit organizations with a great opportunity to integrate concepts of sustainability and waste reduction into their operations,” added Ms. Rubinstein. “It’s inspiring to see programs such as this one developed and implement by the City to ensure that the highest environmental practices are met through the lifecycle of office equipment.“
The State Electronics Challenge awards were made possible through donations from Samsung and the R2/RIOS Program.
