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ISRI & CEA launch second CRT glass recycling challenge

Two US trade bodies have launched a technical challenge to identify financially viable, environmentally sound proposals for using recycled cathode ray tube (CRT) glass. The winning solution, which will be publicized and shared with manufacturers, retailers and recyclers, will be chosen based on economic and environmental benefits.

A technical challenge to identify financially viable, environmentally sound proposals for using recycled cathode ray tube (CRT) glass has been launched by US trade bodies the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).
Over the coming years, the ISRI and the CEA said that they expected to see over 2 billion pounds, or (907,000 tonnes), of legacy CRT TVs and monitors to be sent for recycling. With demand for old CRT glass to make new CRT glass falling rapidly, there is an increased need for new environmentally sound, economically sustainable uses for this material.
“The EPA recognizes that the reduced number of facilities that accept processed CRT glass is posing challenges for recycling this material,” commented Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
According to Walter Alcorn, vice president of environmental affairs and industry sustainability, at the CEA the ‘CRT challenge’ is a crowd-sourced technical competition to find new uses for old CRT glass.
The CEA issued its first CRT Challenge in 2011 when it yielded three winners:
•    Mario Rosato proposed a closed-loop process for separating the lead from the glass in a form with high market value for a variety of industries;
•    Nulife Glass Processing, which proposed a solution that utilizes an extremely energy efficient electrically heated furnace, uniquely designed to produce minimal emissions;
•    Robert Kirbym who submitted an idea for combining CRT glass with cement to create tile and bricks that are tested, labelled and sold specifically for applications where lead shielding is required, such as X-ray and fluoroscopy rooms.
The CEA and ISRI said that they will accept submissions for the 2013 CRT Challenge until 30 June.
The organizers added that the winning solution will be chosen based on economic and environmental benefits, and CEA will award USD 10,000 to the winner, whose idea will also be publicized and shared with manufacturers, retailers and recyclers.
“The Challenge presents a great opportunity to expand and develop new markets for recycled CRT glass and help recyclers as the industry transitions from CRTs to newer display technologies,” commented Robin Wiener, president of ISRI.

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