| WASHINGTON D.C. - April 30, 2008 – The Science and Technology Committee today held a hearing to explore issues related to the management of waste electronic equipment (e-waste) in the United States.
“The shear volume of electronic equipment that ends up the nation’s disposal facilities not only takes up a significant amount of expensive disposal space, it also contributes to the amount of hazardous pollution found in landfills,” said Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX). “There is no easy solution to this issue, and it requires the cooperation of state and federal governments, the electronics industry, the recycling industry and individual consumers.”
With the fast rate of technology improvement and the rate that many industrializing countries will soon be discarding large numbers of used electronics, the volume of e-waste globally is predicted to grow substantially. However, there currently is no federal law or regulation governing the disposal of consumer electronic products in the United States. When not properly handled, studies show that the components of some e-waste can be sources of toxins and carcinogens.
Addressing this problem, last year the House passed H.R. 2850, the Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2008, authored by Technology and Innovation Subcommittee Ranking Member Phil Gingrey (R-GA). This important legislation promotes the development of green chemicals and products that do not produce harmful toxins. Dr. Gingrey noted that “Preventing pollution and hazardous waste from the start of a design process is far preferable to cleaning up that pollution and waste at a later date.”
Witnesses at today’s hearing highlighted the challenges in addressing the vast quantities of consumer waste and offered strategies for improving e-waste disposal. One common theme echoed throughout the hearing was the need for consumers to be aware of the problem and be educated about the different options available when an electronic product is being discarded. Additionally, the concept of producer responsibility when designing these products was also emphasized as an essential component of solving the e-waste problem.
Electronic companies are starting to acknowledge their role in the need for better designs of products to make recycling easier and safer. “Sony believes that it is the individual manufacturer’s responsibility to assure that any product that bears its name is properly recycled using the highest standards possible at the end of the product’s life,” said Mr. Michael Williams, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Sony Electronics Incorporated.
Dr. Eric Williams, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Arizona State University, offered a unique perspective for addressing the e-waste challenge. He said “We need to think about desired endpoints such as safety from exposure to toxics, net reduced energy use, availability of affordable IT to everyone, and creating jobs and capital.” He continued, “We should work backwards from these endpoints to find the policies, processes, and product designs which deliver the desired outcomes.”
Also testifying at today’s hearing were: Ms. Renee St. Denis, Director of America’s Product Take-Back and Recycling for Hewlett-Packard Company; Mr. Eric Harris, Associate Counsel and Director of Government and International Affairs for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI); Mr. Ted Smith, Chair of the Electronics Take-Back Coalition; and Mr. Gerardo Castro, Director of Contracts and Environmental Services, Goodwill Industries of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
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