Lawmakers pursue recycling of ‘e-waste’

OLYMPIA – Still have that old computer? That six-year-old ancient piece of history that’s collecting dust in your garage?

A network of state lawmakers wants to engineer a recycling program for those antiquated electronics dubbed “e-waste.” The system could be ready by 2009, possibly before your current tech toys become grossly obsolete.

“Electronic waste has been a huge issue for the environmental community nationwide,” said Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, the Senate bill’s primary sponsor. “Something has to happen on a national level in the next few years to deal with it.”

Pridemore has 24 years worth of computer fossils – a total of about 10 obsolete machines – piled up in his closet.

Other lawmakers have similar concerns: With bipartisan support, Pridemore’s bill picked up 36 co-sponsors. A similar measure in the House, led by Rep. Brian Sullivan, D-Mukilteo, has 40 co-signers.

Both bills were spawned by the Department of Ecology’s two-year study, finished in December, of recycling alternatives for the toxic technology.

But Cullen Stephenson, who manages the solid waste program for the Department of Ecology, acknowledged that the participants of the study didn’t reach their conclusion by consensus.

That’s because the proposals come with a catch the size of a 52-inch plasma screen. The entire onus of recycling is on manufacturers to gather, transport, break down, melt down and dispose of the parts of each electronic device.

To handle recycling services, television and computer manufacturers will face a cost of up to $10 per item sold. But these companies, which usually distribute through regional retailers, say they have no infrastructure to tackle the problem and will be forced to buy into a standard system established by a new state agency, the Washington Materials Management and Financing Authority.

Additionally, established manufacturers are concerned about fly-by-night overseas operations. Maine, for example, has adopted the manufacturer’s fee program. Some foreign producers, however, are difficult to track down and haven’t paid their share of the recycling cost, sticking other manufacturers with their share.

“I don’t see how it can work,” said Sen. Jim Buck, R-Joyce. “I am very disappointed.”

A number of private enterprises have already created recycling hubs to collect electronics for a small fee. Large stores, such as Staples, have added e-cycling programs to their services.

“Private business is out there right now trying to solve these problems,” said Steve Matheson, founder of Northwest E-Cycle in Puyallup, who worries the proposed law would put him out of business. “My company right now is out there creating the infrastructure.”

Varying programs have been established in cities around the state. Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland and Redmond, for example, offer curbside pickup along with regular recycling services at no additional cost to residents. Those cities negotiated with recyclers, such as Waste Management, to add e-disposal to their regular routes.

Most television and computer manufacturers would prefer a nationwide standard, so all technology products would be equally taxed and efficiently recycled. If not that, retailers can collect a tax at the counter, as is done in California, said David Thompson, director of Panasonic’s environmental department and a part of the Manufacturers’ Coalition for Responsible Recycling.

The retailer-based proposal has taken form in two bills proposed by Rep. Al O’Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace.

O’Brien’s bills, however, have no co-sponsors, and he has also signed on to support Sullivan’s take-back measure.

Even Rep. Bill Eickmeyer, D-Belfair, a co-sponsor of the manufacturer fee, expressed concern for the producer-based strategy. Eickmeyer was disappointed that the solution would only cover computers and televisions, but not faxes, printers, cell phones, batteries or other common tech devices.

Many private businesses collect a wider variety of electronics.

E-trash has been a growing burden on landfills since the tech boom. And with a constant turnover of new gadgets – computers, televisions and iPods – Americans are disposing of about 2 million tons of e-junk each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Some dumps have stopped accepting e-waste because of sheer volume. That’s not to mention the fact that an average monitor contains six pounds of lead, which can seep into waterways, threatening nearby environment.

Some disposal locations send extra waste overseas to poorer nations with looser environmental regulations.

“There are cleaner ways to do it,” Pridemore said.