Booth #25903
Official 2011 Press Kit Booth #25903
Earth911 bridges consumers, manufacturers, industry and government to connect and empower national recycling initiatives Table of contents About Earth911. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2 The Recycling Directory & Platforms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3 E-cycling Snapshot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5 Leadership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7 Q&A with Corey Lambrecht, President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15
Earth911 Inc, Official 2011 Press Kit
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Earth911 is Recycling Made Simple We collect information about what and where people can recycle and push that information out into the world
How We Do It: • Manage and grow the nation’s largest and most accurate Recycling Directory through our network of more than 11,000 Local Experts and dedicated staff.
• Power and create multiple ways to use and access the Recycling Directory via platforms including: Earth911.com; our free iPhone app, iRecycle; our toll-free, bilingual hotline 1-800-CLEANUP; and Syndication of our Recycling Directory on partner websites and apps. Simply enter where you are and what you want to recycle.
• Communicate using original news and lifestyle stories to keep consumers up-todate on the latest news, ideas and innovations in recycling, product stewardship and extended producer responsibility.
• Partner with manufacturers, industries and retailers to help educate consumers about how to recycle and properly dispose of their products.
• Analyze the data in the Earth911 Recycling Directory to create unique and precise reports addressing what percentage of a population has access to recycling resources, right down to the ZIP code. Earth911 Inc, Official 2011 Press Kit
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The Earth911 Recycling Directory The largest and most accurate source of local recycling information in the United States and the foundation of Earth911’s business Programs vary city by city and state by state, but one thing remains the same: The Earth911 Recycling Directory provides the fastest and most accessible way to obtain up-to-date recycling information across the country.
Vital Statistics on the Earth911 Recycling Directory: • More than 34 million recycling searches were conducted in 2010 on the Earth911 Recycling Directory using the Earth911.com, iRecycle and 1-800-CLEANUP platforms
• Earth911 utilizes a network of more than 11,000 Local Experts to keep information up-to-date
• The Earth911 Recycling Directory lists recycling and disposal information for more than 240 products • It contains more than 127,000 locations (eg: retail store, community center) and programs (eg: community curbside program)
• Combined, these locations and the number of materials they recycle create more than 740,000 recycling resources in total • Timely events such as annual e-cycling drives are also listed • Earth911’s dedicated staff verifies every listing added to the Recycling Directory and will self-audit the entire Directory at least four times in 2011 • It is free to list recycling resources in the Earth911 Recycling Directory
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Platforms Powered by the Earth911 Recycling Directory Connect with recycling 24/7, no matter where you are
The Directory’s fluid setup allows it to be seamlessly integrated into a number of platforms. Below is a snapshot of some of its uses:
• Earth911.com – Earth911’s website, hosting the Recycling Directory, News and Lifestyle articles and encyclopedia-style Resource content
• iRecycle – Earth911’s free iPhone app, streaming the Recycling Directory and News and Lifestyle articles
• 1-800-CLEANUP – A toll-free, bilingual hotline providing telephone access to the Recycling Directory
• Partner websites and applications – Earth911’s Recycling Directory can be styled and customized to power any recycling search on a website or smart-phone application
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E-cycling Snapshot Electronics dominate all other recycling searches on Earth911’s Recycling Directory
E-waste, and what to do with it, is a hot topic. Many states have enacted e-cycling legislation, and,
Top 10 Searches
Recycling Directory, consumers are asking (loudly)
The top 10 most-searched products correlate with evolving technology trends and products with high turnover:
what do to with their end-of-life tech:
1. TVs
as seen through the searches on the Earth911
2. Computers
• Electronics is the most popular product category in the Earth911 Recycling Directory
• 23% of all searches are for Electronics • Of the top 20 most-searched products in Earth911’s Recycling Directory, 16 directly relate
3. Computer Monitors 4. Cell Phones 5. Small Appliances 6. Office Machines 7. Inkjet Cartridges 8. CDs 9. Floppy Disks 10. Video Tapes
to consumer electronics
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Earth911 & CES Partnering on multiple levels to create more awareness about e-cycling
Because e-waste is such an important issue for both consumers and the industry, Earth911 partnered with the Consumer Electronics Association and the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show to provide multiple ways to reach out and learn more. Come visit Earth911 at CES in the South Hall, Lower Level, Booth #25903
Earth911 is: • The Official Recycling Partner of CEA and CES, working to promote awareness about e-cycling information across the country
• The Official Green Media Partner of CES 2011, providing daily coverage, live tweeting and more for the entire show
• The Sustainable Planet TechZone Sponsor, supporting the largest sustainability section yet
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Leadership Meet the minds behind Earth911
Colt Melby Chief Executive Officer Colt has a 20-year background in aerospace manufacturing and more than 10 years of experience as a public company executive. He spent 15 years as owner and chief executive officer of Metal Form, Inc., serving worldwide customers including Boeing, Bombardier, Rockwell, Grumman, Lockheed Martin and others. Under his stewardship, Metal Form was the recipient of numerous awards of excellence, including Boeing’s President Award and three consecutive “Supplier of the Year” awards. Colt is a founding member of Melby Brothers Performance Investments, a firm with a strong history of financing successful start-up and turnaround organizations. One of his more notable investments was the financing and purchase of firearms-maker Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ: SWHC) from London-based Tomkins PLC (NYSE: TKS) in 2001. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board for Waytronx, Inc (OTCBB: WYNX). He continues to invest both his time and resources in successful business ventures. This includes investments in Earth911. With an unmatched enthusiasm and excitement for the further development of the environmental sector, Colt oversees Earth911’s operations to successfully and sustainably grow the business. Colt is an active philanthropist. He and his family are members of the Harvesters, an Orange County food bank dedicated to providing healthy meals to underprivileged children in Southern California. He is also a member of the Cattle Barons, a Texas charity providing support to the American Cancer Society.
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Corey Lambrecht President Corey Lambrecht has more than 14 years of experiences as a public company executive specializing in strategic acquisitions, new business development, pioneering consumer products, corporate licensing and interactive technology services. He previously served as the Executive Vice President of Global Alerts (predecessor to Earth911, Inc.), a leading cause media company, and also led the company’s investment into Quest Recycling Services, LLC. He formerly served as Director of Sales for Leveraged Marketing Associates, the worldwide leader in licensed brand extension strategies focusing on non-traditional as well as International Licensing opportunities. Corey was instrumental in arranging the financing for the acquisition of Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: SWHC) by the publicly traded Saf-T-Hammer Corp. He served as Executive Vice President and was responsible for Smith & Wesson Corporation and served as the President of Smith & Wesson’s Licensing, Advanced Technologies and Interactive Marketing divisions. He is the former President of A For Effort, an interactive database marketing company specializing in online content (Advergaming) for clients such as the National Hockey League. His prior experience also includes being a pre-IPO founder for Premium Cigars International (NASDAQ: PCIG) and VP Sales/Marketing for ProductExpress.com (OTCBB: PXPS). He also serves as a Director for Lifestyle Wireless/Text-a-Day (leading Mobile Giving and Marketing Platforms) and as Director and Compensation Committee Chairperson for Waytronx, Inc. (OTCBB: WYNX) thermal management solutions company and its wholly owned subsidiary CUI, a provider of electro-mechanical components for OEM manufacturing. Corey is a Certified Director from the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management accredited Directors program.
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Sandra Keil Vice President Government Relations and Industry Affairs Sandra develops and maintains relationships with government entities on behalf of Earth911, including the Environmental Protection Agency and state recycling coordinators. She also speaks at conferences and events as a representative of Earth911. She comes to the company after working as a policy adviser to the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources in the House of Representatives. During her time in Washington, D.C., she developed and negotiated numerous environmental and energy policies that were signed into law and are in effect today. She has a degree in Environmental Science from Utah State University.
Raquel Fagan Vice President Media, Advertising and Partnerships Raquel oversees the editorial department of Earth911.com, maintains relationships with partners, helps define Earth911’s vision for new media products and continues to rapidly expand partnerships and product development. Raquel has over three years of experience in the non-profit sector, including work in animal welfare and with the disability community. She has a degree in English Literature and Women Studies from Arizona State University. Raquel has lived a vegan lifestyle since 2002, drives a hybrid car and maintains a compost system in her backyard.
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Q&A with Corey Lambrecht Talking about the business of sustainability, recycling and more with Earth911’s President
Q: Why did you invest in Earth911? It’s not often that you get the chance to be a part of a company like Earth911. At the time of acquisition, the company already had more than 15 years of experience in bridging the gap between industry, consumers and federal, state and local government to provide and promote real, actionable product stewardship information. Working with agencies like the U.S. EPA and DOE and states It was immediately such as California, Arizona and Texas, along with Earth911’s apparent that Earth911 network of thousands of local recycling experts, created a was a true find. scalable solution that was entirely unique to the market. Also, Earth911’s client list included – and still includes – leading Fortune 100 companies (many in the top 20) as multi-year clients. It was immediately apparent that Earth911 was a true find. The question was never why invest, but rather, why not? It was, and still is, one of the most exciting businesses I have ever been a part of, and one I feel a great deal of personal pride in growing.
Q: How do you think the company’s actual mission and purpose have evolved? Earth911 has recommitted and reinvigorated its focus on the data that makes its national Recycling Directory not only possible, but useful, timely and relevant. It is the foundation of everything we do, and as one of Earth911’s key assets, we looked to devote even more resources to its growth and distribution. This included, among other initiatives, examining the ways that we make the information as accessible as possible to consumers who are looking to make a decision to recycle or properly dispose of their products. A few years ago, Earth911 also began to surround this data with a voice, and our editorial team has grown in depth and prominence. Combining our Recycling Directory, which provides the most accurate view of what people can recycle and where, along Earth911 Inc, Official 2011 Press Kit
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with more in-depth coverage of how and why to do it, has drastically reshaped the way we work.
Q: How has the “green” market changed over the past few years? The green market has evolved from a trendy movement to a serious concept encompassing transparency and responsibility on multiple levels. While the initial green movement was important because it increased awareness to new heights, the maturation of this awareness has created a more permanent mindset. This idea shift towards sustainability encompasses concepts like how to positively impact the triple bottom line, focus on the entire The green market has lifecycle of a product and create and implement extended evolved from a trendy producer responsibility initiatives. movement to a serious
concept encompassing transparency and responsibility on multiple levels.
With that shift, consumers and governments, on behalf of not only their local concerns, but also for environmental improvement globally, are demanding that we all share the burden to ensure that we are not wasting precious commodities that can be reused. This means that knowledge about recycling – how, why and where to do it – is in higher demand from not only the early adopters of “green,” but also mainstream audiences as well.
Q: What’s your view on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)? EPR follows a simple rule of responsibility, but there are a multitude of complexities when it comes to keeping up with its application, interpretation and regulation. EPR follows the “kindergarten rule”: You made the mess, you clean it up. EPR, as it is interpreted globally, states that the maker of a product must have some sort of responsibility in its end of life to ensure that the materials get back into the system for reuse or are disposed of properly. This affects groups across the entire chain: suppliers, manufacturers, transporters, distributors, retailers, municipalities and consumers. As more consumer product companies enter the EPR conversation, whether by choice or by regulation, a deeper level of understanding of where and how to properly dispose of these materials will be key. Earth911 aggregates and provides Earth911 Inc, Official 2011 Press Kit
EPR follows the “kindergarten rule”: You made the mess, you clean it up.
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access to the most accurate information related to proper disposal of these goods, creating a valuable way to make decisions about the proper implementation EPR programs.
Q: What makes Earth911, Inc. different than other “green” companies? Essentially, what makes us different from a company, for example, selling green goods or simply writing about sustainability is that we built a foundation on the Earth911 Recycling Directory. This Directory is a searchable, accessible system that hosts the most comprehensive recycling and proper disposal data available. It is supported by a network of more than 11,000 local experts that we’ve worked with over the past 19 years and counting. The Recycling Directory holds information on more than 127,000 recycling locations and programs representing more than 740,000 services that can help people responsibly dispose of hundreds of products. Earth911 surrounds this Recycling Directory with neutral and fact-based articles that do not promote advocacy for any issues except recycling and disposal. We work to be right down the center, enabling Earth911 to convey real, actionable information that can truly help people make the proper disposal and recycling choices, which is the right thing to do for our planet.
The Recycling Directory holds information on more than 127,000 recycling locations and programs representing more than 740,000 services...
With this major focus on encouraging local participation in recycling initiatives, Earth911 is not solely a “green” company. It is an emergent leader in recycling and commodity management that has emphasized this sustainable business focus for over 19 years.
Q: What’s Earth911’s most important potential area of impact? Data and information are powerful and always play a key role in how anyone would measure success. Earth911’s key potential areas all focus on its ability to be a reliable provider of information about recycling and proper disposal and how various interest groups utilize that data. With the economy still struggling, Earth911’s work to be a cost-effective, third-party recycling and proper disposal solution for industry and consumer product companies will be key to continuing to make recycling programs accessible to consumers and Earth911 Inc, Official 2011 Press Kit
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sustainable financially. Additionally, with continued decreases in available funds for government programs and services, Earth911 will remain an actionable resource partner of federal and local government agencies and will continue to bridge the gap in a true public-private partnership role. However, our most important area of impact remains – as it has since 1991 – to provide actionable information so we can all do our part in doing our utmost to maximize our reuse of precious natural resources that are embedded in consumer products through recycling.
Corey Lambrecht on E-waste Earth911’s President talks about the demand and challenges facing e-cycling moving forward
Q: Why do you think electronics are the top search on the Earth911 Recycling Directory? North America is a next-generation, gadget-based economy. Inherently, there’s always something newer, better, faster, lighter, cheaper. So, e-waste encompasses a significant volume of commodities that also have significant value. When you add commodity value with the general increased awareness of “doing the right thing” as it relates to recycling and proper disposal, it’s really no surprise Electronics are the top search. Consumers know they’re supposed to do something with their tech, but the rules are changing all the time. They need a credible resource to find their options, which is what our Recycling Directory provides.
Consumers know they’re supposed to do something with their tech, but the rules are changing all the time.
Our continued partnerships with industry groups, like the Consumer Electronics Association, enables us to clarify a responsible action and educate consumers on what they can do and where they can properly dispose of or recycle these products.
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Q: What are some of the biggest challenges facing the industry in implementing widespread recycling? One of the greatest hurdles is that there is no standard rule about how to break down, recycle, reuse or otherwise treat e-waste. On the design side, the industry is already shifting by designing the product for But without a standard dismantling at its end of life. This means that products can for end-of-life be broken apart and their materials processed more easily, treatment, it makes it making e-cycling simpler. But without a standard for end-of-life tough to get the type treatment, it makes it tough to get the type of innovation and of innovation and collections rates that are in demand on a national level.
collections rates that are in demand on a national level.
While the rules and regulations are changing, Earth911 regularly updates its information to give consumers the best chance to recycle, reuse or donate their tech properly. There is still much improvement to be had across e-cycling as a whole, but there is absolutely no question that e-cycling has significant benefits and that major players are committed to its improvement.
Q: How is Earth911 helping the e-cycling conversation? Earth911 has created a Directory that has the ability to make recycling information available no matter where people are or the time of day. Access points such as Earth911.com, iRecycle for iPhone and 1-800-CLEANUP, enable people to use widely available networks to find where you can recycle that item. We even bring in deeper levels, such as timely events or donation locations that provide further recycling, reuse and donation options for e-waste.
The backbone of our e-cycling work boils down to choice and empowering everyday people.
The backbone of our e-cycling work boils down to choice and empowering everyday people. Providing consumers with reliable options, based on the best data available, means they can make the best decision as to what to do with the products they have at that moment. Earth911 does not solve all of the problems of e-waste, but we do play a key role as an aggregator of proper disposal information that extends the life of the product to its fullest. Earth911 Inc, Official 2011 Press Kit
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Q: How is technology itself impacting recycling and Earth911’s business? As I mentioned previously, the design of electronics impacts the business because additional and accessible recyclable material is going into these products. Essentially, that means more value and benefit to collecting them later. Additionally, thinking of pre-Internet days, it would be very hard for people to police and demand recycling the way they are now. This interconnected This interconnected society helps us better understand what people need and how society helps us better to get it to them.
understand what people need and how to get it to them.
Technology has also impacted us, of course, in terms of delivering information. Wherever you are and however you want to consume information – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. – you can. Because we can deliver recycling information virtually, on-demand and right on the product, we interact with people on every level of buying and using a product. In the future, with the continued developments of technology like Q codes or bar codes, Earth911 will be able to power even more recycling programs and reach more people moving forward.
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Contact: Over the last year, Earth911’s combined Facebook and Twitter presences have increased by more than 300% Twitter: @earth911 Facebook: facebook.com/earth911 Weekly Newsletter: Earth911.com
Jennifer Berry
Public and Strategic Relations Manager jberry@earth911.com O: 480-889-2650 C: 602-692-1721
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