Originally published August 20 2005
States beginning programs to deal with fast-growing "e-waste" problem
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
As more and more gadgets become affordable, more Americans are scooping them up, but The Christian Science Monitor reports that more obsolete models (made up of dangerous materials) are finding their way into dumps, and the resulting e-waste is a problem that at least 25 states have proposed laws to deal with.
This "e-waste" is only about 2 percent by weight of the nation's municipal solid-waste stream, yet it is one of the fastest growing segments.
But only about 10 percent of e-waste is recycled, the rest is landfilled, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates.
And as consumers throw out their conventional TV sets for digital high-definition television, the worry is that these old TVs will put billions of pounds of lead into the environment.
Massachusetts, Minnesota, California, and Maine already ban e-waste from landfills, boosting recycling in those states.
But as more states set up rules, consumer electronics manufacturers are pushing for a national program to avoid the costs of complying with differing state laws.
The industry also wants "shared responsibility among all the stakeholders" to avoid being held solely responsible for the toxic parts it sells in its wares.
One example is a California fee on retail sales of such electronic items - something retailers oppose - that helps pay for recycling.
Congress is now weighing two different types of bills, each aimed at creating a national plan for e-waste recycling.
Last month, a Senate committee held hearings on a bill that would ladle out tax incentives to companies and individuals who recycle in order to jump-start a free-market approach.
Creating a Washington-run recycling program, with its expected beholden special interests, is something to approach with great caution.
Still, some metals in computers are valuable enough that some recyclers ship container-loads of e-waste to nations like China where villagers are paid to take them apart - usually without protective clothing or environmental safeguards.
A couple more ideas are worth considering: What about requiring that gadgets with toxic parts come with very large labels indicating what's inside?
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