Category: Legislation

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Call for Papers: “Electronic Waste–Impact, Policy and Green Design”

Challenges logoSEI’s Professor William Bullock and Joy Scrogum will guest edit a special issue of the journal Challenges, entitled “Electronic Waste–Impact, Policy and Green Design.”  From the issue’s rationale:

“Electronics are at the heart of an economic system that has brought many out of poverty and enhanced quality of life. In Western society in particular, our livelihoods, health, safety, and well being are positively impacted by electronics. However, there is growing evidence that our disposal of electronics is causing irreparable damage to the planet and to human health, as well as fueling social conflict and violence.

While global demand for these modern gadgets is increasing, policy to handle the increased volumes of electronic waste has not kept pace. International policy governing safe transfer, disposal, reclamation, and reuse of electronic waste is nonexistent or woefully lacking. Where laws do exist about exporting and importing hazardous waste, they are routinely circumvented and enforcement is spotty at best. While European Union countries lead the way in responsible recycling of electronic and electrical devices under various EU directives, most industrialized nations do not have such policies. In the U.S., for example, most electronic waste is still discarded in landfills or ground up for scrap.

It is imperative that we consider how green design practices can address the growing electronic waste problem. This special issue is meant to do just that and spur discussions on how electronic products can become greener and more sustainable.”

If you are interested in submitting a paper for this special issue, please send a title and short abstract (about 100 words) to the Challenges Editorial Office at challenges@mdpi.com, indicating the special issue for which it is to be considered. If the proposal is considered appropriate for the issue, you will be asked to submit a full paper. Complete instructions for authors and an online submission form for the completed manuscripts are available on the Challenges web site at http://www.mdpi.com/journal/challenges/special_issues/electronic-waste. The deadline for manuscript submissions is June 1, 2013.

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Greening the Gift of Gadgets

It’s the holiday season, and odds are many people are out frantically shopping for last minute gifts, many of which will involve electronics of some sort. If you’re giving the gift of gadgets this year, here are a few things to keep in mind.

First, and always, consider–do you or the loved one in mind really NEED the new device, or does an existing device serve the person’s purposes adequately? Will it improve your life in a substantial way, or is this a status symbol? In Western culture in particular, there’s a push to have the latest and greatest gadget. A new version of a device is released and thousands flock to purchase it, even if they barely use half the features on the older version of the device which they already own. There’s a perception that one needs the latest version in order to keep up with new technology, or at least to keep up appearances, and all too often the actual functionality of a device and how it fits a person’s specific situation and needs, is lower on the list of purchasing considerations. Consumers can be fickle, and can suffer from app envy. Stop for a minute and think about this. Watch The Story of Stuff. Then watch The Story of Electronics.

If you still feel compelled to buy, are you able to buy a used version of the device? What about a refurbished version? Many electronics retailers offer refurbished versions of devices for slightly lower prices, which operate just as well as a brand new device. My refurbished wireless router at home is a fine example of the reliability of such items. It’s always desirable to see products reused as much as possible before recycling. Any way in which the product lifecycle can be extended is positive in terms of environmental impacts.See this HowStuffWorks article on How Refurbished Electronics Work.

If for whatever reason a used or refurbished version isn’t an option, take some time to consider the environmental ratings of the products and brands you’re considering. Helpful consumer guides include the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, the latest version of which was just released in November 2012. , and the Good Guide (although currently, the Good Guide only ranks cell phones according to environmental, social, and health criteria). Always look for ENERGY STAR rated devices which will operate more efficiently. Such devices will have the ENERGY STAR logo on them, and you can do some research ahead of time on the program’s web site. Determine whether or not the device you’re interested in is EPEAT registered. EPEAT stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, and involves standards for categorizing electronic products at various levels based upon a variety of environmental considerations. The category standards for a given device category are developed with the input of various stakeholders, including those involved in electronics development and purchasing, as well as representatives from governments, environmental advocacy organizations and academia. Contrary to common misconception, EPEAT is a voluntary registry, not a certification in which a third-party issues a product its stamp of approval, as evidenced by Apple’s voluntary decision earlier in the year to remove certain products from the registry, and subsequently voluntarily choose to add them back after public outcry over this decision and criticism related to designs for certain products that made them more difficult to disassemble and/or recycle. See http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57472035-37/apple-reverses-course-re-ups-with-epeat-green-standard/ for more on that. Even so, if a product meets EPEAT standards, you can feel confident that its environmental impact has been carefully considered throughout its lifecycle. See this infographic for more on the environmental benefits of EPEAT rated products. Raise Hope for Congo ranks companies on their efforts towards using and investing in conflict-free minerals. (See the “Conflict Minerals” post category of this blog for more information on what conflict minerals are and why they’re important.)

Once you’ve dutifully done that homework, you should be ready to buy, right? Well, if you’re in the U.S., maybe you should further consider whether or not your state has electronics product legislation on the books. See the State & Local page of the SEI web site Law & Policy section to find out and have a summary of the type of law your state has, the devices covered, and a link to the full text of the legislation. Why does this matter? Well, some states (like Illinois, for example) require manufacturers to register or submit recycling plans with a state agency prior to being allowed to sell their products within that state. It’s all part of efforts to ensure that certain electronic devices don’t end up in landfills and that manufacturers are supporting the end-of-life management of their own products (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_producer_responsibility). As a recent article in a National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER) newsletter pointed out, some brands are not compliant with state laws. You might want to buy a certain brand because of great holiday deals being offered–but maybe those products aren’t even supposed to be sold in your state! It’s worth checking the NCER resources related to this.

You’ve waded through all these environmental considerations and are feeling good about your choices. The new gadget is wrapped and ready for giving. But then you remember–what should your loved one do with their old device? There are many different options, and what is available to you will depend on your location. A good place to start is the SEI fact sheet on Electronics Take-Back and Donation Programs. A quick way to check for options in your area is to visit the Earth911 web site. And you can always contact your county or municipal recycling coordinator–he or she will be able to tell you whether or not there are collection events offered in your area, and which local retailers and recyclers accept electronics for recycling.

Now for extra points—how environmentally friendly was the gift wrap you used? 🙂

Happy holidays from SEI!

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IL EPA Offers Grants to Promote Awareness of Landfill Ban and Electronics Recycling

November 15 is America Recycles Day. Celebrated since 1997, this event is about educating the public about how and what to recycle, while encouraging people to do so as part of their daily routine.  When most people take part in America Recycles Day events, they focus on the typical items you might place in the nearest blue bin or on the curb for weekly collection–paper, plastics, aluminum cans, etc. However, if you’re reading this blog, you already know that it’s just as important to consider recycling or reusing electronics when they are no longer of use to you. To learn more about America Recycles Day and resources available on the Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI) web site regarding how to recycle or donate your electronics, as well as legislation related to electronics disposal and recycling, see my previous blog post on America Recycles Day.

If you are a recycling coordinator in the state of Illinois, America Recycles Day is the perfect time to check out the Illinois EPA’s new grant program offering up to $2000 to recycling coordinators in each county in Illinois. The grants are for the purpose of educating the public about the state landfill ban, and providing information on opportunities available for electronics recycling. To apply for a grant, visit http://www.epa.state.il.us/land/electronic-waste-recycling/index.html and click on the “Grants” tab. The application deadline is February 1, 2013, and recipients must expend the $2000 before December 31 in the program year in which the grant is received. For more information or questions related to the application process, contact Michelle Bentley at 217-524-6713.

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GreenBiz Series on Conflict Minerals Continues

The latest entry in the GreenBiz.com series on conflict minerals has been published, entitled “Industry, government team up for conflict-free mineral markets.” The series is being written by Patricia Jurewicz, the Director for the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN). RSN is a project of As You Sow, a nongovernmental organization that  “promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies.” In this latest installment, Jurewicz highlights industry efforts to trace and maintain conflict-free supply chains, while also contributing positively to Congolese communities.

The series began in late August, 2012, and is a response to the recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) vote to adopt Section 1502, a provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. That rule requires manufacturers to trace their supply chains and disclose whether or not the tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold used in their products come from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or an adjoining country. For more information on this rule and links to the previous installments in the GreenBiz series, see my previous post on the series.

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Webinar: Sustainable Electronics: Lessons Learned from the RoHS and the Pb-free Transition, 11/5/12

Join us for a webinar on Monday, November 5, 2012, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CDT. This seminar will be hosted at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) in Champaign, IL, and simultaneously broadcast online. The presentation will be archived on the ISTC web site (see http://www.istc.illinois.edu/about/sustainability_seminars.cfm for more information and additional webinar archives).

Dr. Carol Handwerker, Reinhardt Schuhmann Jr. Professor of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, will present “Sustainable Electronics: Lessons Learned from the RoHS and the Pb-free Transition.” Register online  for this webinar at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/712035655.

Abstract: With the impending ban on Pb in electronics in 2006, the consumer electronics industry world-wide began working together in the late ’90’s to define a standard Pb-free solder alloy for electronics manufacturing. The speed of the transition and the level of cooperation demonstrated in preparing industry to manufacture products with Pb-free solder provide benchmarks for sustainability-driven technology transitions in a rapidly changing global industry.  What does this tell us about future changes in materials and processes as we learn more about the consequences of our electronics use?

SEI, the Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR), and ISTC are hosting a series of seminars this fall focused on sustainable electronics research and issues. Watch the SEI calendar for upcoming seminar dates. You may contact Nancy Holm, SEI Research Coordinator, to be added to the mailing list to receive email notifications of upcoming seminars.

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GreenBiz.com Featuring Series on SEC Conflict Mineral Reporting Rule

The popular online source for sustainable news and resources related to business, GreenBiz.com, is featuring a four-part series of articles on compliance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule Section 1502. The SEC recently voted to adopt Section 1502, a controversial rule which is a provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The rule requires manufacturers to trace their supply chains and disclose whether or not the tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold used in their products come from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or an adjoining country. These minerals are referred to as “conflict minerals” because militant groups within DRC use violence (rape and other gender based violence, as well as murder and other atrocities) to control miners within that country, which include women and children. The purchase of conflict minerals from DRC funds a war between the government and rebel militias over control of the country’s mines. Controlling those mines means power because those minerals are used within virtually all electronic products that we use in today’s world. What makes the rule controversial is what some groups have called a “loophole” that allows companies to declare the source of these minerals as indeterminable; flexibility is also allowed on scrap and recycled minerals. For more information on the recent SEC vote and the controversy, see the GreenBiz article “SEC’s conflict minerals vote comes under fire.” For more information on conflict minerals in general, see the previous SEI blog post entitled “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction,” as well as the Raise Hope for Congo web site. Read the text of the final rule (Section 1502) here.

The first article in the GreenBiz series was published on 8/30/12 and is entitled “Full disclosure: How SEC’s conflict mineral rule could affect you.”  It was written by Patricia Jurewicz, the Director for the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN). RSN is a project of As You Sow, a nongovernmental organization that  “promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies.” This article discusses what companies will have to report on and how, discusses room for interpretation of the SEC rules, and provides a list of products (not just electronics) that contain conflict minerals.

The latest article in the series, also by Patricia Jurewicz, is entitled “Tackling tungsten, tin: Choosing tools for conflict mineral reports.” This article discusses systems and tools used to facilitate the reporting process in compliance with Section 1502. Included at the end of the article are links to possible software solutions that manufacturers may wish to explore to help track their supply chain.

Watch GreenBiz.com for subsequent articles, and keep an eye out for future SEI blog posts related to conflict minerals and supply chain management.

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SEI Updates

NOTE: This post was written by ISTC staff member, Elizabeth Meschewski.

There have been several updates to the Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI) website:

  • WEEE 2: The European Commission has updated the WEEE Directive. See the European section of the International Law & Policy page for a link to more information on the revised directive.
  • Recycling in Manitoba: Manitoba’s government run recycling program switched to a privately run program earlier this month. We’ve added a section on Manitoba in the Canada section of the International Law & Policy page and a link to an article about the program.
  • International E-Waste Design Competition: We have added links to the Resources section of the competition web site, including “Books” and “Background & Promotional Materials.”  We have also updated the Jury page, where you can find bios and pictures of this year’s jurors.
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State and Local Legislation Chart Updated

The “U.S. State & Local Legislation” chart, available within the Sustainable Electronics Initiative Law & Policy section, has recently been updated. The chart provides a list of U.S. states and municipalities where some form of legislation related to electronic waste (e-waste) exists, or has been proposed.

You may click on the name of each location to visit the site for the relevant environmental agency (e.g. the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality). Each entry includes the type of legislation (e.g. “e-waste” for e-waste recycling, collection, and/or disposal ban, or “disposal ban” if the legislation merely states that certain electronics may not be landfilled); whether or not the legislation is proposed and when it did or will take effect; when the bill was passed (if appropriate); and the devices covered.

If you click on “Download the Chart” right above the table, you will be taken to a printable PDF version of the chart, which further indicates for what types of entities the legislation provides free recycling and what entities pay for this recycling.

If you are aware of any updates that should be included on this chart, or on the “Federal,” “International,” or “Voluntary Initiatives” pages, please send your suggestions to Joy Scrogum.

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StEP E-Waste Summer School Call for Applicants; Deadline May 1

Following the huge success of the E-waste Summer Schools in 2009 and 2010, the United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) has announced the call for applications for the StEP E-waste Summer School 2011. Now in its third edition, this year’s School will take place from 11 – 22 September in Eindhoven/Netherlands, Antwerp/Belgium and includes participation in the World Resources Forum in Davos/Switzerland.
The StEP E-waste Summer School is a pioneering concept in research and education on waste electrical and electronic equipment, looking at the e-waste issue in its entirety, rather than through the lens of one specific academic discipline. The Summer School provides the foremost platform to young scientists involved in e-waste related research to share their knowledge, interact with experts and develop collaborative partnerships fostering cutting-edge scientific research on all areas related to e-waste–from policies and technologies to economics and social aspects.

The call for applications is now open, and the deadline for applications is May 1, 2011. StEP is inviting applications from doctoral students, final year master students and early career post-docs currently researching on e-waste and related areas to come together and share knowledge, interact with experts and gain a holistic view on e-waste. A focus is placed on e-waste in emerging economies, thus researchers in developing and emerging economies and/or exploring the challenges and solutions of e-waste management in these countries are especially encouraged to apply.

For more information, check out the website  www.step-initiative.org/summerschool or contact the program at summerschool@step-initiative.org.

Thanks to Stéphanie H. Leclerc for sharing details of this program with SEI.

StEP summer school logo

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Don’t Forget Electronics on America Recycles Day

Happy America Recycles Day! Celebrated annually on November 15, America Recycles Day is a program of Keep America Beautiful, Inc. Those of us who were alive in the 1970s will remember Keep America Beautiful, or KAB, as the folks who brought us one the most successful public service campaigns ever, in the form of a Native American man weeping while bearing witness to thoughtless pollution. (You can watch a clip of that famous public service announcement featuring Iron Eyes Cody, and read more about KAB’s history on the organization’s web site. Incidentally, it’s interesting to consider how that PSA might look today if it focused on e-waste instead of some of the more obvious forms of pollution like air pollution, litter, etc.)

Celebrated since 1997, America Recycle’s Day is about educating the public about how and what to recycle, while encouraging people to do so as part of their daily routine.  When most people take part in America Recycles Day events, they focus on the typical items you might place in the nearest blue bin or on the curb for weekly collection–paper, plastics, aluminum cans, etc. However, if you’re reading this blog, you already know that it’s just as important to consider recycling or reusing electronics when they are no longer of use to you.

So take the opportunity today to educate yourself, friends, family and colleagues about how you can responsibly dispose of your electronic devices. Visit the KAB website, and use the recycling location tool available there through KAB’s partnership with Earth911 to find electronics recycling locations in your community.  Just type “electronics” into the “What?” field (or a specific type of item, such as “television” or “batteries”) and then enter you zip code into the “Where?” field to call up a list of area businesses or organizations that accept such items for proper recycling.

Also, read the SEI fact sheet on Electronics Take-Back and Donation Programs to learn other options if there are not local resources available to you, or if you’re interested in selling devices for some extra cash or donating your electronics for a good cause. SEI also provides an extensive Summary of U.S. State Laws on Electronic Waste and Disposal Bans so you can learn what laws, if any, apply in your area. The Law & Policy section of the SEI web site will also help you learn about regulations on the local, federal and international levels, as well as providing more information on voluntary initiatives.

And take some time to think about what is involved in the responsible recycling of electronic devices. Read about the existing Certification programs on the SEI site.

Then take the America Recycles Day pledge today, and be sure to check the box on the pledge form that applies to electronics: “I pledge to recycle my used batteries, cell phones and other electronic waste through a take-back program or e-waste facility near me.”

And then live by that pledge–365 days a year.