Partnership provides best practice expertise for secure recycling in the United States

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Siemens Energy, Inc. and Materials Processing Corporation (MPC) today announce a partnership to provide a secure, green recycling solution to the electric utility industry. The service will help utilities dispose of end-of-life electronic components in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. It will also assist them in achieving compliance with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's Cyber Infrastructure Protection standards.

The service provided by Siemens and MPC allows electronic components such as computers for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and energy management systems (EMS), remote terminal units (RTUs), protective relays and meters to be picked up at the utility's site where a quick destruction is performed and witnessed by a representative of the utility. Siemens collects the equipment and securely transports it to MPC's recycling center where the equipment is disassembled, sorted, shredded and ultimately recycled. Security and environmental controls are in place throughout the process, and the heuristic recycling process is completed when all possible minerals are recovered. Nothing goes to a landfill.

"There are many documented cases of hackers recovering critical information from discarded computer equipment and using it to break into systems. This partnership will ensure that no one can recover information from memory devices and use the information to attack our energy infrastructure," stated Paul Skare, director of cyber security at Siemens Energy, Inc. "MPC provides best-in-class electronics recycling with secure destruction of all storage devices, as well as the tracking and auditing that meet utilities' needs. We're especially pleased that MPC helps us to provide a necessary service in an environmentally responsible way."

"The electronics recycling industry has come a long way in the last few years," says Todd Schachtman, president, global business development, Materials Processing Corporation. "It's no longer just about recycling electronics efficiently, it is about providing companies with peace of mind that their often highly sensitive data has been destroyed to the highest possible governmental standards and in a way that doesn't damage the environment. At MPC we're dedicated to helping our customers go about their daily and future business worry-free when it comes to everything from absolute data privacy to being responsible corporate citizens."

The Siemens Energy Sector is the world's leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. In fiscal 2008 (ended September 30), the Energy Sector had revenues of approximately EUR22.6 billion and received new orders totaling approximately EUR33.4 billion and posted a profit of EUR1.4 billion. On September 30, 2008, the Energy Sector had a work force of approximately 83,500. Further information is available at: www.siemens.com/energy.

Materials Processing Corporation (MPC) is the country's leading electronics recycling specialist with nationwide operations, collections and capabilities. Certified to the highest international, government and environmental standards MPC is one of the very few electronics recycling specialists in the United States to have ISO 9001 and ISO14001 certification. MPC is a member of the Basel Action Network (BAN) e-Stewards Initiative, a global program to promote best practices in electronics recycling and eradicate eWaste dumping worldwide. MPC is also a member of the National Association of Information Destruction (NAID), Headquartered in Eagan, MN, for more than 25 years, MPC operates a strict no landfill policy, has nationwide collection capabilities with logistic centers in Minnesota, California, Maryland, Tennessee, Illinois, Florida, Ohio and Colorado. 

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Collaborative Communications Leader Launches Extensive Environmental Sustainability Program

TAMPA, Fla., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Earth Day 2010, AVI-SPL today announced an environmentally-focused program targeting audiovisual equipment recycling, videoconferencing solutions, internal sustainability programs, LEED-certified installations and employee training.

AVI-SPL and Materials Processing Corporation (MPC) have partnered to provide a secure and environmentally-responsible recycling solution for audiovisual electronic components and accessories. MPC is an electronic asset disposition services company, focusing on the mitigation of environmental and data security risk. They partner with customers and industry to develop chain of custody platforms, and to enhance transparency for environmental and security best practices. MPC maintains a strict and industry-audited 100 percent zero-landfill policy, and proudly holds R2, ISO:14001 and ISO:9001 certifications.

Participation in the recycling program is easy and provided at no cost to AVI-SPL customers. Audiovisual equipment will be collected from participating customer sites and securely transported to MPC's recycling center where the equipment will be sorted and processed. In addition, individuals and businesses can recycle projector lamps by filling out a simple service request form on the AVI-SPL website. Through the partnership with MPC, AVI-SPL customers also can recycle other electronics at preferred rates. For more information about AVI-SPL's AV equipment recycling program, call toll-free 1-866-559-8197.

"MPC is proud to partner with AVI-SPL on this sustainability program," said Alan Yousha, vice president of business development at MPC. "It is through collaborative efforts like this that environmental stewardship can successfully meet the economics of business."

AVI-SPL encourages its employees to specify energy-efficient equipment from manufacturers with environmentally-conscious factories and products. In the integration process, control systems can be installed to turn off idle equipment and manage lighting, heating and cooling for unoccupied rooms. These efforts help customers to save energy, money and the environment.

For businesses of every size, videoconferencing saves resources and time, in addition to reducing carbon emissions. AVI-SPL is partnered with major video communications companies, including Cisco, TANDBERG, Polycom and LifeSize, to offer video solutions for businesses large and small. From desktop videophones to immersive TelePresence suites, AVI-SPL's team is certified and trained by manufacturers to help businesses with their video communications needs. To see total savings through videoconferencing, visit the Business Advantage Calculator on AVI-SPL's website.

All of AVI-SPL's nearly 40 offices are all equipped with videoconferencing systems. Employees frequently use the systems to virtually meet with colleagues and customers around the globe. Offices are also equipped with energy management systems, and employees are encouraged to recycle office waste.

AVI-SPL provides an extensive environmental sustainability training program for its employees. Several employees are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited by the Green Building Certification Institute in cooperation with the U.S. Green Building Council, allowing them to work with architects to create energy-efficient structures and systems. For more information about LEED-certified projects, visit AVI-SPL's website.

"AVI-SPL is pleased to offer different ways for our customers to support sustainable initiatives, whether it be recycling, building LEED-certified projects, or using equipment that helps them to reduce their carbon impact," said Michelle Oswald, vice president of marketing communications at AVI-SPL. "Our focus is on providing as many options as possible for our customers to meet their business needs, while also assisting them with energy reduction and the environmentally-sustainable disposal of their end-of-life equipment."

Supporting Links

• AVI-SPL AV Equipment Recycling Program
• AVI-SPL Green AV Blog
• YouTube: Electronics Recycling at MPC
• YouTube: LEED Silver-Certified Project Tour at Ringling College of Art and Design

About AVI-SPL

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., AVI-SPL is the result of a merger between Audio Visual Innovations (AVI) and Signal Perfection, Ltd. (SPL). In aggregate the company has completed more than 25,000 installations, providing innovative communications solutions with a strong tradition of high quality and exceptional customer service. As the largest global integrator for audio and video communications systems and services, AVI-SPL is uniquely positioned to deliver the most comprehensive line-up of collaborative communications and presentation solutions, including: managed videoconferencing, systems integration, sales and rentals, complete staging and production, IP integration and event management. For more about AVI-SPL, visit www.avispl.com.  

About MPC

Materials Processing Corporation (MPC) is a leading edge electronic asset disposition specialist. Headquartered in Mendota Heights, MN, MPC operates a strict zero-landfill operation and has a nationwide business footprint. As a 27-year veteran of the recycling industry, MPC is one of the few electronics recycling specialists in the United States to have R2, ISO:9001 and ISO:14001 certifications. MPC is an active member of the National Association of Information Destruction (NAID) and the Basel Action Network (BAN) e-Stewards Initiative, a global program to promote best practices in electronics recycling and eradicate eWaste dumping worldwide. For more about MPC, visit www.mpc-e.com.

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