Handling E-waste
Based on statistics from the environmental lobbyist group Californians Against Waste (CAW) and if similar consumption patterns hold true for Canada, then about 10 000 computer monitors and television sets become obsolete every day in this country.
Many of these obsolete units eventually find their way to landfills, over time leaching out a rather nasty toxic brew laden with heavy metals. Some remain stored in attics and garages to be thrown out a later date.
Some of you may be using the first computer you bought. Others may be onto the tenth or even more if they got into the game in 1977 or thereabouts when the first personal computers were released in Canada. Anyone still using a Commodore PET or a Radio Shack TRS-80 with its upgraded 16 k (yes, “k”) RAM and save to tape capability?
Issues surrounding the safe disposal of obsolete electronic gear have become a major issue in California. That such disposal in landfills is unsatisfactory seems beyond argument. How to pay for safe disposal is unfortunately not. There have been proposals for a disposal fee but such a concept is not generally supported by the public. A point-of-purchase tax has been suggested but California-based manufacturers see this as placing them at a competitive disadvantage.
CAW (www.cawrecycles.org) has spearheaded the issue of so-called e-waste in the public policy arena. Two weeks ago the group was successful in having the California legislature pass landmark bills addressing the problem. Specifically, intent language stating the problem of electronic waste, and the intent to establish an advanced recovery fee on CRTs (computer screens and television picture tubes) was adopted, along with labelling provisions and recycling and recovery goals for CRTs
In a special section on its web site devoted to e-waste concerns CAW clearly outlines the concerns over landfill disposal of CRTs. “Computer or television displays (CRTs) contain an average of 4 to 8 pounds of lead each. Monitor glass contains about 20% lead by weight. When these components are illegally disposed and crushed in landfills, the lead is released into the environment, posing a hazardous legacy for current and future generations. Consumer electronics already constitute 40% of lead found in landfills. About 70% of the heavy metals (including mercury and cadmium) found in landfills comes from electronic equipment discards. These heavy metals and other hazardous substances found in electronics can contaminate groundwater and pose other environmental and public health risks.”
Retailing and manufacturing giant IBM has operated a recycling program for computer systems for the past couple of years but the $30 fee seems to have kept away all but a few consumers. According to the company it has recycled or refurbished and donated 5 000 systems, a far cry from the 3 million units CAW estimates IBM sold in 2000.
European legislators have adopted a slightly different approach to the e-waste problem. Electronics manufacturers are required to take full responsibility for the recovery and recycling of their products. Furthermore, manufacturers are on notice that they must begin phasing out the use of hazardous materials, some of which are particularly dangerous for workers in the recycling industry.
CAW notes that back-end or end-of-life disposal fee methods of controlling e-waste are doomed to failure. The group strongly believes that waste management fees must be built in to the purchase price of electronics goods. It points to California’s tire disposal levy as an example of a back-end system that actually reduces recycling and contributes to illegal and improper disposal of materials that later, perhaps decades down the road, leaves taxpayers on the hook.
On the local side, the GVRD recently carried out an audit of its waste stream and projected the following: 1463 t of computers, 5754 t of CRTs and 1245 t of printers per year. In aggregate, electronics products represented about 1.7 % of the entire waste stream. Call 437-GVRD for a current list of local recycling programs and companies accepting obsolete computer equipment.
Many of these obsolete units eventually find their way to landfills, over time leaching out a rather nasty toxic brew laden with heavy metals. Some remain stored in attics and garages to be thrown out a later date.
Some of you may be using the first computer you bought. Others may be onto the tenth or even more if they got into the game in 1977 or thereabouts when the first personal computers were released in Canada. Anyone still using a Commodore PET or a Radio Shack TRS-80 with its upgraded 16 k (yes, “k”) RAM and save to tape capability?
Issues surrounding the safe disposal of obsolete electronic gear have become a major issue in California. That such disposal in landfills is unsatisfactory seems beyond argument. How to pay for safe disposal is unfortunately not. There have been proposals for a disposal fee but such a concept is not generally supported by the public. A point-of-purchase tax has been suggested but California-based manufacturers see this as placing them at a competitive disadvantage.
CAW (www.cawrecycles.org) has spearheaded the issue of so-called e-waste in the public policy arena. Two weeks ago the group was successful in having the California legislature pass landmark bills addressing the problem. Specifically, intent language stating the problem of electronic waste, and the intent to establish an advanced recovery fee on CRTs (computer screens and television picture tubes) was adopted, along with labelling provisions and recycling and recovery goals for CRTs
In a special section on its web site devoted to e-waste concerns CAW clearly outlines the concerns over landfill disposal of CRTs. “Computer or television displays (CRTs) contain an average of 4 to 8 pounds of lead each. Monitor glass contains about 20% lead by weight. When these components are illegally disposed and crushed in landfills, the lead is released into the environment, posing a hazardous legacy for current and future generations. Consumer electronics already constitute 40% of lead found in landfills. About 70% of the heavy metals (including mercury and cadmium) found in landfills comes from electronic equipment discards. These heavy metals and other hazardous substances found in electronics can contaminate groundwater and pose other environmental and public health risks.”
Retailing and manufacturing giant IBM has operated a recycling program for computer systems for the past couple of years but the $30 fee seems to have kept away all but a few consumers. According to the company it has recycled or refurbished and donated 5 000 systems, a far cry from the 3 million units CAW estimates IBM sold in 2000.
European legislators have adopted a slightly different approach to the e-waste problem. Electronics manufacturers are required to take full responsibility for the recovery and recycling of their products. Furthermore, manufacturers are on notice that they must begin phasing out the use of hazardous materials, some of which are particularly dangerous for workers in the recycling industry.
CAW notes that back-end or end-of-life disposal fee methods of controlling e-waste are doomed to failure. The group strongly believes that waste management fees must be built in to the purchase price of electronics goods. It points to California’s tire disposal levy as an example of a back-end system that actually reduces recycling and contributes to illegal and improper disposal of materials that later, perhaps decades down the road, leaves taxpayers on the hook.
On the local side, the GVRD recently carried out an audit of its waste stream and projected the following: 1463 t of computers, 5754 t of CRTs and 1245 t of printers per year. In aggregate, electronics products represented about 1.7 % of the entire waste stream. Call 437-GVRD for a current list of local recycling programs and companies accepting obsolete computer equipment.
posted by Peter Vogel at 4:51 PM
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