As consumers line up for new TVs and computers, the old machines that they’re replacing continue to pile up. Even though it’s illegal to put them in the garbage, many still wind up there. Recycling fees charged to consumers probably have a lot to do with that.
Computers, monitors and TVs often contain toxic materials, such as lead, which can seep into groundwater. Materials like steel, aluminum, copper and gold can and should be reused. That’s why these devices can’t simply be thrown away.
Until a national solution emerges, one that provides a clear, uniform way to deal with electronic waste, states and local jurisdictions are on their own in dealing with the problem.
A bill in the Legislature, while imperfect, takes a step in the right direction. SB 6428 passed the Senate Wednesday on a 41-8 vote. Its companion, HB 2662, is awaiting action in the House.
This legislation puts the onus on manufacturers to pay for recycling electronic waste. They would pay up to $10 for each item sold in Washington, with proceeds financing the gathering, transport, recycling and disposal of electronic devices. A coalition of environmentalists, retailers and even one manufacturer – Hewlett-Packard – support the idea, which is being prime sponsored in the House by Rep. Brian Sullivan (D-Mukilteo).
Other manufacturers, though, object to being given all the responsibility. They worry, in part, that fly-by-night foreign producers will be hard to track down and will escape having to pay. They’d rather see a national standard.
So would most everyone else, but it’s been slow in coming. A patchwork of different state standards isn’t desirable, but it will increase the pressure for a nationwide fix.
California may have the best answer. Consumers there pay a fee of $6-10 when purchasing electronic equipment, which goes into a fund that pays for e-recycling. Making manufacturers pay will ultimately trickle down to consumers, anyway. Why not make it more transparent by charging the consumer directly?
That said, Sullivan and others have done a good job bringing this coalition together and forging bipartisan support, a difficult task. The ultimate goal is a national standard, under which all technology products are equally taxed and efficiently recycled, and federal officials need to get serious about that.
In the meantime, this bill will help reduce that growing pile of e-trash.
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