The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday announced the James E. Van Zandt Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Altoona, Blair County, has been selected for a national Federal Green Challenge Award for its electronics recycling efforts.

The Federal Green Challenge Program challenges federal agencies throughout the country to lead-by-example in reducing the federal government's environmental impact.

EPA recognized the Van Zandt Veterans Affairs Medical Center for sending 8.2 tons of end-of-life electronics to be recycled in 2015. This amount of recycled electronics represents the largest annual percentage increase among all Federal Green Challenge participants.

In addition to their electronics recycling, the center also identified and recycled more than 61 percent of their waste-stream which they report is one of the highest in the Veterans Affairs system.

“The recycling accomplishments at the James E. Van Zandt Veterans Affairs Medical Center demonstrate how federal facilities can be leaders in reducing their environmental footprint,” said EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “Our Federal Green Challenge awards recognize these efforts and encourages other federal agencies to take steps to further conserve resources and protect the environment.”

In 2015, more than 400 participating federal facilities “walked the talk” and reduced their environmental footprint, which in many cases also resulted in significant cost savings.  These federal agencies have diverted thousands of tons of waste from landfills; saved millions of gallons of water; saved millions of cubic feet of natural gas; reduced fleet distance traveled; and sent tons of end-of-life electronics to third-party certified recyclers.

For more information on the program and the awards, visit EPA’s Federal Green Challenge Program and Federal Green Challenge Awards webpages.

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7/18/2016