Fresno-based Electronic Recyclers International, the nation’s largest recycler of electronic waste, has been awarded the GSA Environmental Services contract, effective immediately.
With the contract, ERI can now offer the federal government its state-of-the-art sustainable electronic recycling capabilities. ERI is listed under the contract number GS-10F-0051Y.
Landing the GSA contract has made ERI the world’s first electronics recycler to be fully dual-certified in both R2 certification and the Basel Action Network’s e-Stewards certification at all of its operating locations.
ERI had been working nine months to get on the GSA’s schedule in order to recycle e-waste for the federal government. Chairman and CEO of ERI John Shegerian says the federal government buys $85 billion worth of IT annually, and $15 billion of that is in hardware in electronics.
“They (the federal government) are potentially the biggest customer out there to recycle electronics for,” Shegerian said. “So we’re honored and excited to be finally listed on the federal GSA schedule.”
Shegerian also mentioned that President Obama has announced that in the future he will ban federal electronics from being sent to landfills, so they will have to be recycled by companies that recycle electronics properly and safely.
Winvale, a leading government contracts consultancy, assisted ERI in achieving the contract.
“We are proud of our work in helping ERI establish a leadership position in the federal market,” said Brian Dunn, managing partner at Winvale. “They are truly the leaders of the electronic recycling industry – from sustainability to technological innovation to protection of individual and organizational data privacy. Their customers at the federal level will appreciate the simplicity the GSA Schedule offers them.”
GSA closely evaluated ERI’s professional capabilities, organizational structure, performance history, financial viability, pricing, and customer satisfaction in considering the company for the contract. Landing the contract has qualified ERI to capture task orders directly from federal government buyers for the next 20 years.
Shegerian plans for ERI to eventually expand into other rapidly growing countries, making it a true international brand. Development in the United States is also continuing, with the company’s third e-waste shredder currently being built in Indiana, and construction on the fourth will begin in North Carolina soon.
“This is very exciting times for us as we continue to grow, even in this economy that has its wild swings and ups and downs,” Shegerian said. “ERI continues to grow profitably every year.”