The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently announced the winners of its 2018 Sustainable Materials Management Electronics Challenge, and TCL is proud to have earned the highly-coveted Gold Tier Award.

A select few companies with sophisticated sustainability programs enter this challenge, which among its many qualifications requires that 100% of all used and end-of-life electronics is sent to accredited, certified recyclers.

To give you some context on the impact that quality electronics recycling programs can have, the EPA said its SMM Challenge participants kept nearly 276,000 tons of electronics out of landfills. That’s equivalent to replacing more than 22 million incandescent lamps with LEDs, or taking 140,000 vehicles off the road for one full year (Source: EPA).

However, earning the top award – the Gold Tier Award – is another challenge on its own. It means zero margin for error and getting everything right the first time…and every time. And it means constantly expanding into new areas and looking for improvement.

I’m extremely proud of the TCL Team for its persistent efforts, and for paying attention to the details to make a tremendous difference in countless communities across America. This should be the first of many awards to come that will recognize TCL for its environmental leadership.

The EPA stamp of approval on the company’s sustainability program means a great deal to us, but don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what the EPA had to say:

"TCL’s commitment to the sustainable management of electronics demonstrates that successful business practices and environmental stewardship can go hand-in-hand," said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “I congratulate TCL for their leadership and commitment to recycle electronics responsibly."

Environmental leadership is a core pillar of the TCLCares Program, enabling us to double our electronics recycling goals year after year. In 2019, we plan to continue our commitment and add programs in many states that currently don’t offer TCL TV owners easy or convenient solutions.

The EPA will present the SMM Electronics Challenge Gold Tier Award to TCL in a ceremony to be held during the Consumer Electronics Show in January.