Electronic-waste recycling: The cup runneth over

Leave it to Oregon. The state where recycling is practically an article of religion is having headaches with its new electronic recycling law: Way too many old TVs, computers and monitors have flooded in since the law took effect in January.

Mind you, it's a problem the state doesn't mind having. The more the better, state officials say. But the biggest manufacturers group participating in the program, the Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Co., or MRM, wants to call a bit of a time-out.

Warning that e-waste will substantially exceed its state-mandated target if the stuff keeps coming in at the current rate, MRM said it will limit collections to designated network collection sites and won't reimburse for e-waste collected at special events organized by neighborhoods, church groups or county cleanup events. In addition, the company is asking collectors to limit their promotions for e-waste recycling to signs designed by the Department of Environmental Quality.

Oregon has one of the most user-friendly e-waste programs in the country. Individuals can bring in up to seven items free of charge, while schools and businesses can bring in any number. Every county, and every city with more than 10,000 people, has a convenient collection site.

Problems arose because the state agreed to a minimum target for the first year -- about 12 million pounds -- and manufacturers began planning around the minimum. "What's happened is not surprising to many of us. Oregonians are big recyclers, and they've brought in a lot of material," said Loretta Pickerell, solid-waste manager at the Department of Environmental Quality.

The state plans to speak with manufacturers to make sure they're not asked to do more than their share. "But the bottom line is in a product stewardship situation, the manufacturers need to work this out," Pickerell said.

"MRM indicated they were trying to slow down collections, which is not allowed ... and they can't require people to prove they own the device they bring in. That's not free and convenient, which is what the law requires."

The company can tell groups organizing big community collections that this is "above and beyond" what the company contracted for, she said. "But they can't take down the signs, pull shut the blinds and turn out the lights. They can't do that kind of slowdown."

MRM represents more than 20 major electronics manufacturers, including Panasonic, Toshiba and Sharp.

So far, 18 states including California, along with New York City, have passed laws requiring e-waste recycling. At least 15 other states are considering legislation this year.

-- Kim Murphy

Photo: Discarded computer equipment is removed from a pickup truck at SoCal Computer Recyclers' e-waste collection event in Huntington Beach in 2007. Credit: Don Kelsen, Los Angeles Times.

Comments

[DAN]

Why cant i recycle my ewaste and old computer/tv junk at BestBuy,Staples,Office depot?This is the source of the waste so it makes sense that we bring back the waste to the source.We pay an 8$ fee at the store for computer so surely we should be able to dump the old stuff there.Contact your legislators to force the computer stores to have to take back old computers for recycling.

[Ewaste Expert]

Okay, but is it REALLY recycling? Or is this just another means for US "recycling" companies to collect materials and ship them to whom ever pays the most money? What is the downstream accountability? Where is the transparency relative to where the CRT Glass, the Circuit boards, low-grade stereo, VCR, DVD scrap goes?

Why is there such a big secret where everything goes when "recyclers" are so quick to say ' We're doing the right thing, we're making sure none of this stuff goes to landfills or won't junk up your yard" Of course not. The developing countries where this scrap ends up DON"T HAVE LANDFILLS! It's litterally being piled in THEIR back yard. So, a play on words and yes, they are telling you the truth. BUT, the damage being done to the environment with every new E-Waste Law will continue to get worse untill there are barriers to entry and significant accountability by organizations who have the backbone to enforce them with serious penalties - financial and otherwise.

Sound electronics recycling is not cheap, and where the material goes should not be a secret or "proprietary" information. Give me a break - it ain't rocket science. We're talking about saving earth! Saving Lives!

[Ray]

California has a fee based law that works pretty good (some problems with cheating, payment per lb has been cut, and raw material prices are way down), but this produced a huge amount of electronic recyclers in California. Oregon went with one where the manufacturer needs to pay, and in my opinion, does not work as well as California's more market based solution.

[Chris]

E-waste is the fastest growing component of the recycling industry in the US. One reason is the marketing and planned obsolecence of electronics. True, the process of downcycling and recycling electronics is flawed as certain components are probably not properly recycled and end up in 3rd world countries or landfills. Two ways to prevent the sheer volume is to make electronics with future upgrades in mind as a way to eliminate buying a new model. Adding memory to an i Pod after a few years of use and so forth. The other way to eliminate holes in the sustainability loop is to make electronics meet a certain threshold of using recycled materials in the manufacturing process.
www.goriseup.com

[planetink]

Recycling isn't just for paper,plastic, cardboard and such. Yes it is about time people strated to recycle old electronics as well. But what about ink and toner cartridges. Where are these all going? Straight into the landfills. Visit our website www.planetinkandtoner.com. There are green alternatives.

[IT-Green recycling]

Although it's to be expected, I have to admit that the volume of e-waste being recycled is quite astonishing. The only concern in this issue is that next year, the volumes needing recycling will drop off because everyone's had a clear out. I suspect that's MRM's biggest concern. The market could dry up, causing a slump in throughput, thus causing a cash flow issue, shrinking of the recycling market and people out of work