The United States Commerce Department has released an in-depth report looking at the various policy issues surrounding the handling and recycling of electronic scrap. Gary To address the growing issue of electronics recycling, the Commerce Department’s Technology Administration’s Office of Technology Policy held a public roundtable of stakeholders close to two years ago seeking comments on how to effectively recycle electronic equipment.
Recommendations by stakeholders included the following: seeking to put together a national system, rather than various state by state recycling programs; define covered products clearly to eliminate guesswork and lengthy negotiations between producers and retailers; provide flexibility in regards to collection; treat residential and commercial electronics waste the same; agree on financing to handle the collection and processing of the material; minimize compliance costs and maximize participation; and continue to boost consumer education; and provide incentives for a market-driven solution.
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. applauded the release of the study, Recycling Technology Products: An Overview of E-Waste Policy Issues" at ISRI’s Leadership Meetings in Washington, D.C.
"ISRI welcomes and applauds the thorough efforts of the Department of Commerce to engage in this timely discussion," said Robin Wiener, ISRI’s president. "This report will help policymakers understand the complexities of electronics recycling so that legislative or regulatory proposals strengthen, rather than hinder, the marketplace for these materials."
Despite praise for the overall study, ISRI does take exception to the use of the term "e-waste" in the report and suggests the adoption of the term "e-scrap" to more accurately describe recyclable materials from electronic devices. The report acknowledges the existence of both terms.
"The Commerce Department study hopes to promote market-based solutions to electronics recycling issues," Wiener said. "Yet one of the greatest challenges faced in this industry is the improper designation of recyclable materials as ‘waste,’ often leading to legislative and regulatory complications that are unnecessarily burdensome to recycling.
"Scrap is not waste and recycling is not disposal," she continued. "Successful policy will make this distinction in order to ensure that electronic recycling continues to attract investment and thus sustain and increase overall recycling capacity."
ISRI demonstrated the consequences of labeling recyclable materials as waste in a letter last week to Senator Jeffords of Vermont, sponsor of the Recycling Investment Saves Energy Act. The letter states that because recycling is perceived by some as a ‘waste’ activity, burdens such as obtaining proper and adequate insurance for what recyclers really do rather than what others think recyclers do is a real world problem.
In one case, an insurance carrier did not renew a policy because the carrier determined incorrectly that the recycling industry was engaged in ‘waste treatment’ activities.
ISRI advocates that successful policy must also create a competitive environment among manufacturers in order to reduce the costs of recycling electronic products and to enhance Design for Recycling. DFR is a concept that ISRI developed that calls upon manufacturers to design products that can be easily recycled and that minimizes or eliminates the use of toxic materials.
"It is only logical that the best place to address the major challenges to recycling products is in their design stage," said ISRI Chair Frank Cozzi. "Addressing a product’s end-of-life issues in its design can save enormous amounts of energy and resources."
Cozzi praised the electronics industry as being one that generally has considered these issues to some extent for quite some time. Earlier this year, ISRI awarded its first "Design for Recycling® Award" to Hewlett-Packard in recognition of their efforts. "The Commerce Department’s study will be a very useful tool to the government and industry as we work to craft workable policies on electronics," Cozzi said. "Ultimately, we should address this issue in a way that is not overburdened with regulation; that encourages a marketplace economy; that protects America’s environment; and that supports our national and global economy."
ISRI looks forward to continued workwith the Department of Commerce and the Under Secretary to accomplish these goals.
To read the report click on the following link - Recycling Technology Products: An Overview of E-Waste Policy Issues