Responsibility For E-Waste
Do computer manufacturers pay for the recycling of e-waste?
Computer manufacturers pay in some jurisdictions for the recycling of electronic waste, such as in Maine in the United States. In other states, the consumer pays for the recycling of electronic waste, such as the model in California. However, manufacturers are very involved with this issue of electronic waste recycling and the appropriate disposal, and manufacturers are taking every measure to make sure that their products are designed better, and more appropriately, and greener, for future use and future recycling. Also, the products that are out there get recycled appropriately. Manufacturers are leading the way on this issue.
Does the government hold computer companies accountable for their electronic waste?
Historically, the government has not held computer manufacturers responsible for electronic waste and appropriate disposal. More and more states are either passing producer responsibility laws or advanced recycling fee laws. More and more often, the manufacturers are working with the retailers and working with the recyclers for the powerful collaborations that will keep electronic waste out of landfills for generations to come.
Do electronic retailers offer recycling programs?
Many electronic retailers are now heavily involved with recycling electronics. The best models today can probably be found at Best Buy and Wal-Mart, and other electronic retailers are getting on board fast, but Best Buy and Wal-Mart have led the way on this issue.
What is 'producer responsibility' with regard to e-waste?
Producer responsibility with regards to e-waste, is when the materials are collected by the approved collectors in a given jurisdiction, the manufacturers then have to allocate which is attributed to their own materials and pay for the appropriate legal recycling of the materials that they produced originally and that were resold.
What types of e-recycling programs are the most effective?
Fiduciary responsibility, jurisdictions, work just as long as the materials are being collected and the producers are allocating and taking responsibility for the stuff that they produce and that were sold in that jurisdiction. Advanced recycling models, such as California, where the consumer pays the fee upfront have, to date, been the most successful models that have emerged in the entire world. The world is looking at the California model more than any other model because the consumer pays the advance recycling fee at the point of purchase, and the state monitors the program. The sheer numbers tell the entire story. In California 2005, 65 million pounds of electronic waste was recycled appropriately. In 2006 north of 120 million pounds were recycled appropriately, and here is the unfortunate little secret. There is not one other state in the great nation called America that has recycled even 15% of those numbers yet because those jurisdictions haven't come up with appropriate electronic recycling models. So, we are in dire need of: first, banning electronics from landfills and creating appropriate models that will work.
How does the California e-waste recycling program work?
The state of California has created a model called SB20 that's collected to date hundreds of millions of dollars from the consumer that goes back to recycling electronic waste. Then the state manages the program and pays the approved recyclers for recycling the electronics in the appropriate manner, but they monitor the program so carefully that they pay the recycler who collect only approved electronics, have the best practices and procedures under their roof, and send the commodities to approved down-stream vendors for future reuse. And that's why California leads the way on this issue and hopefully other jurisdictions, states and countries will follow suit soon.
