EPA Funding To Help Syracuse Small Business Develop New Green Technology; Advanced Recovery And Recycling, LLC Receives $100,000 For New Approach That Reduces Electronic Waste

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $100,000 to Advanced Recovery and Recycling, LLC of Onondaga County, New York to continue its development of an efficient technology that recycles circuit board components to reduce electronic waste from going to landfills and incinerators.

Advanced Recovery and Recycling was awarded the funding through the EPA’s highly competitive Small Business Innovation Research program competition, which encourages small businesses to research and develop environmental technologies from concept to commercialization.

“Advanced Recovery and Recycling is improving the way computers and other electronics are recycled, reducing the amount of harmful pollutants that can end up in the environment,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Region 2 Administrator. “This company’s innovations and entrepreneurial spirit are an inspiration for everyone working for a cleaner environment, and a source of pride for the people of Central New York.”

The company’s circuit board innovation automatically and rapidly removes electronic parts from printed circuit boards, which are found in virtually all electronics, including computers and televisions. The innovation reduces the amount of electronic waste being processed by refineries. This is accomplished without burning, smelting, or using chemicals, which reduces air pollution and electronic waste in landfills and incinerators.

Only 13 percent of businesses who applied during this cycle were selected. 19 companies nationwide received a contract, and Advanced Recovery and Recycling was the only small business selected in New York State.

The $100,000 contract will be used to develop Advanced Recovery and Recycling’s green technology. When a funded project becomes commercially viable, companies selected under this program can apply for a second federal grant of up to $300,000 to develop and commercialize their technology for the marketplace.

Since its creation, the EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program has given 988 awards to small businesses that provide jobs for developing cutting-edge, green technologies. Small businesses have created more than half of the net new jobs in the past decade. The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs are the largest source of early-stage capital for innovative small companies in the United States. Through these programs, the federal government invests more than $2 billion dollars in American entrepreneurial firms.

Information about the EPA SBIR Program: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/.