Veolia and Covanta join forces on universal waste recycling program

Covanta, a Morristown, New Jersey-based waste and energy solutions company and resource management solutions provider Veolia, Chicago, have partnered to make Veolia's RecyclePak program available to businesses, consumers and cities to assist their ability to recycle universal wastes such as lamps, ballasts, batteries and other products that contain hazardous substances, in what the companies say is a convenient and environmentally-responsible manner. Universal waste is material designated as hazardous waste but containing materials that are very common.

"Environmental sustainability and mitigating harmful risks to our planet are exactly what Covanta's Clean World Initiative is all about. By providing convenient and effective recycling services such as RecyclePak to our customers, we are fulfilling our mission towards sustainable materials management," said John Moffitt, director of technical services, Covanta Environmental Solutions.

While the majority of a mercury-containing lamp can be recycled, according to the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers, only 24 percent of the approximately 600 million mercury-containing lamps that are discarded each year are properly recycled in accordance with applicable state and federal regulations. By separating products into their components and reusing the components and by-products, businesses and consumers are reducing waste, diverting waste from landfills, saving energy and conserving resources.

The RecyclePak program is designed to ensure complete compliance while making recycling easy for consumers and businesses. Covanta's customers can simply purchase a container from covanta.veoliaes.com, place their universal waste into it and then ship it to one of Veolia's recycling centers using a prepaid shipping label.

"The ability to process and reclaim material instead of sending it to a landfill is a primary goal of our company. Being a leader in developing small quantity waste recycling and disposal services, we look forward to working with Covanta to provide a cost-effective and sustainable lamp, ballast, battery and mercury recycling program for the communities and businesses they serve," says Kevin Shaver, general manager for Veolia North America's Industrial Business electronic recycling group. "Our relationship with Covanta furthers both companies' global commitments to sustainable development and to protecting health and the environment."

More information on RecyclePak can be obtained by calling 800-950-8749, emailing universalwaste@covanta.com or visiting covanta.veoliaes.com.