The world has come a long way since the first Earth Day in 1970. It’s hard to believe that, during that era, people didn’t think twice about wasting products and considered the natural resources of the world to be eternal. The philosophies of recycling, reusing and no-waste have permeated on both the individual and business level and Electro-Mech has led the way in recycling within the electronic sports scoreboards industry.
Believe it or not, the first recycling center in the United States actually opened in 1896, but recycling really didn’t become part of the American consciousness until over one hundred years later. The most recent numbers released by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) were in 2009. It seems that Americans are producing: 29 million tons of MSW combusted for energy recovery, 82 million tons recycled or composted for a recovery rate of 33.8%, 74 percent of recovery of office-type paper, 60 percent of recovered yard trimmings, 34.5 percent of recycled metals, 7 million tons of recycled metals reducing greenhouse emissions on a rate equivalent to removing 5 million cars from the road for one year. There are around 9 million curbside recycling programs in existence in the U.S., which is an increase of the 8,875 reported in 2002. Approximately 3,000 community composting programs are in existence, for an increase over the 3,226 programs reported in 2002. Due to population growth, the total amount of MSW (municipal solid waste) in landfills is significantly higher than reported in 1960, yet lower than in 1990.
Earth-friendly efforts in schools, communities and states have resulted in basing future investment and growth decisions around green efforts, products and solutions. Renewable energy is now a mainstay for public transportation choices, businesses participate in recycling and energy savings programs and some of the major retail chains and big box organizations are establishing earth-friendly flagship stores as part of their future vision. Companies such as Disney started their earth-friendly and green efforts quite a few years ago. Their hope is to influence both the parents and the future generations in recycling, renewable and reusable energy and products. Each state in the U.S. is being held accountable for creating more earth-friendly programs, and some have even taken this challenge on as a kind of ‘friendly competition’.
School systems around the U.S. have earth-friendly concepts at the forefront of every purchase. These decisions include safety, recycled/reusable as well as energy savings. Since sports are one of the most popular activities, the microscope for sports investment must include these philosophies. Electro-Mech has taken pride in the production of our electronic sports scoreboards in a conscious and earth-friendly manner, though the use of aluminum and recyclable cabinet parts. The LED lighting reduces electrical use and offers sturdier and longer lasting lighting, while bringing brilliant colors to the scoreboard view.
The future of renewable and sustainable energy, combined with an increased awareness for love of our planet, has catapulted what started out as a grass-roots effort on Earth Day into a world-wide phenomenon. Electro-Mech recognizes that we need to conserve, protect and reuse, to help maintain the health of the earth.