©2011 The Recycling Center of America 1 Does your company have a CD & DVD End-of-Life Protocol? Managing a Disc’s Environmental Impact

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 2 Why? - Today’s Situation…  Every month, millions of CDs and DVDs that are placed in the trash end up in landfills and incinerators.  Most people claim “I didn’t know CDs and DVDs can be recycled.”  Discs will ultimately never decompose in a landfill  Discs that get burned in an incinerator emit harmful gases into our environment.  Billions of discs are still being manufactured and distributed every year

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 3 How Did We Get Here?  Many companies that distribute software on discs do not have an “End of Life” product management program in place  Like the public, many companies do not realize the importance of recycling discs, or where to send discs for recycling  Town curbside recycling programs focus primarily on #1, #2 & #3 plastics. CDs and DVDs are #7, high grade, very reusable polycarbonate plastic. Since discs are not “marked” how to be recycled, discs are treated like a contaminate to the other types of plastics that are identified and recycled. Discs generally get removed and placed in a landfill.  Many companies that distribute software on discs do not have an “End of Life” product management program in place  Like the public, many companies do not realize the importance of recycling discs, or where to send discs for recycling  Town curbside recycling programs focus primarily on #1, #2 & #3 plastics. CDs and DVDs are #7, high grade, very reusable polycarbonate plastic. Since discs are not “marked” how to be recycled, discs are treated like a contaminate to the other types of plastics that are identified and recycled. Discs generally get removed and placed in a landfill.

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 4 Please DO NOT let your company: Place discs in the trash Shred discs while in cases Notch-cut discs Saw-cut discs Send your discs to a waste-to-energy incineration plant

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 5 Shredding discs in cases is not environmentally friendly  Mass shredding is when the whole package is granulated  Contaminates paper in plastic  Contaminates plastic in paper  Creates powder “fines”  Does not allow for proper resource recovery  Destined for a landfill

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 6 Notch/Saw Cutting is not environmentally friendly  Notch Cutting is when the package has a small notch cut into it  Saw Cutting is when the package is destroyed by cutting in half with a saw  It contaminates paper in plastic  It contaminates plastic in paper  It creates powder “fines”  IT does not allow for proper resource recovery

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 7 Notch Cutting is not environmentally friendly  Notch Cutting converts approximately 3% of the package into powder “fines”.  Millions of packages would produce tons of “fines” destined for a landfill.  NOTE: This disc might still play, for the data plays from the inside hub outward on the disc.

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 8 Saw Cutting is not environmentally friendly  Saw Cut packages get baled and exported to countries, such as China.  Note: Packages can still be identified post destruction

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 9 Bad for humans & the environment  Controversial labor practices are utilized to disassemble and sort the baled mess.  Items are now very dangerous to hand sort  Items contain sharp edges and are difficult to handle  Items may get burned to convert to energy

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 10 Solution The CD Recycling Center of America! Manages:  Incoming Logistics  Total staged security  Total package disassembly and sorting  Destruction of necessary components  100% resource recovery The CD Recycling Center of America! Manages:  Incoming Logistics  Total staged security  Total package disassembly and sorting  Destruction of necessary components  100% resource recovery

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 11 Material Reclamation Proper sorting at The CD Recycling Center secure sites yields best reclamation Discs Cases Paper

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 12 Complete Disassembly - Creating American Jobs  1. Remove packages from cartons.  2. Remove shrink-wrap from the package.  3. Remove the Paper cover.  4. Remove the disc.  5. Shred the paper separately - then recycle to pulp.  6. Process the disc - then granulate back to resin.  7. Granulate the case - then recycle back to resin.  8. Bale shrink-wrap film - then recycle back to resin.  9. Reuse or chip pallets - wood processing  1. Remove packages from cartons.  2. Remove shrink-wrap from the package.  3. Remove the Paper cover.  4. Remove the disc.  5. Shred the paper separately - then recycle to pulp.  6. Process the disc - then granulate back to resin.  7. Granulate the case - then recycle back to resin.  8. Bale shrink-wrap film - then recycle back to resin.  9. Reuse or chip pallets - wood processing

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 13 Complete Sorting  1. Shrink-wrap - Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) #3 plastic  2. DVD case - Polypropylene (PP) #5 plastic or CD case Polystyrene (PS) #6 plastic  3. Printed cover - Text weight paper, or board stock  4. DVD disc - Polycarbonate (PC)#7 plastic  5. Outer cartons - Cardboard paperboard - (OCC)  6. Pallet - Wood  7. Pallet wrap - Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) #3 plastic  1. Shrink-wrap - Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) #3 plastic  2. DVD case - Polypropylene (PP) #5 plastic or CD case Polystyrene (PS) #6 plastic  3. Printed cover - Text weight paper, or board stock  4. DVD disc - Polycarbonate (PC)#7 plastic  5. Outer cartons - Cardboard paperboard - (OCC)  6. Pallet - Wood  7. Pallet wrap - Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) #3 plastic

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 14 Life of a Disc  Virgin Polycarbonate Resin is molded into a new disc. A reflective layer, protective layer and ink layer are added.  Recycled discs are granulated and processed to become 99.5% pure and clean recycled polycarbonate material.  Virgin Polycarbonate Resin is molded into a new disc. A reflective layer, protective layer and ink layer are added.  Recycled discs are granulated and processed to become 99.5% pure and clean recycled polycarbonate material.

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 15 What do recycled CDs & DVDs become?  Automotive parts  Home building materials  Safety glasses Helmets Distributor Caps Decking and Fencing Material  Everyday items that can be manufactured from recycled polycarbonate  Automotive parts  Home building materials  Safety glasses Helmets Distributor Caps Decking and Fencing Material  Everyday items that can be manufactured from recycled polycarbonate

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 16 Your New Sustainability Action Item: Promote, Educate, and collect  Use the CD Recycling Center logo on your disc & packaging  Promote customer education on the importance of disc recycling  Direct customers to The CD Recycling Center for free disc recycling Promote, Educate, and collect  Use the CD Recycling Center logo on your disc & packaging  Promote customer education on the importance of disc recycling  Direct customers to The CD Recycling Center for free disc recycling

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 17 The CD Recycling Center is spreading the word everyday!  News articles  Radio Interviews  School Programs  Public Libraries  Community Television  Social Media  Logo placed on media, audio & software discs and related packaging  News articles  Radio Interviews  School Programs  Public Libraries  Community Television  Social Media  Logo placed on media, audio & software discs and related packaging

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 18 Companies That Send Discs to The CD Recycling Center of America  US Postal Service  US Army & Navy  UPS  IRS  IBM  CBS  AT & T  Microsoft  Blockbuster Video  William Morris Agency  Thousands of others  US Postal Service  US Army & Navy  UPS  IRS  IBM  CBS  AT & T  Microsoft  Blockbuster Video  William Morris Agency  Thousands of others

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 19 Use of Logo is Free and Encouraged to Promote Recycling Awareness Logo or website promotes and instructs how to recycle the discs when finished with.

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 20 Recommendations  Place The CD Recycling Logo on new manufactured items  Direct consumers on how to properly recycle their discs when finished with  Promote and support  The CD Recycling Center of America!  Place The CD Recycling Logo on new manufactured items  Direct consumers on how to properly recycle their discs when finished with  Promote and support  The CD Recycling Center of America! This Disc is Recyclable

©2011 The Recycling Center of America 21 Thank You! BY instructing your customers how to properly recycle their unwanted discs with The CD Recycling Center of America, your company will:  Help control pollution  Keep our landfills and incinerators cleaner  Conserve Natural resources - namely oil  Limit your business environmental impact  Help the Earth! EVERY DISC COUNTS. BY instructing your customers how to properly recycle their unwanted discs with The CD Recycling Center of America, your company will:  Help control pollution  Keep our landfills and incinerators cleaner  Conserve Natural resources - namely oil  Limit your business environmental impact  Help the Earth! EVERY DISC COUNTS.