Electronics Manufacturers Sponsoring Workshop

The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative  is sponsoring a workshop to address the business implications of product take-back and recycling, Oct. 10-11 in Colorado.

"Much of the attention that has been given to pending environmental legislation -- such as the European Union's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive -- has focused on the requirements to eliminate lead in electronic products. However, much of the legislation currently pending also includes provisions relating to end-of-life issues, and many North American companies have not really come to grips with the impact these requirements will have on their businesses," said Jim McElroy, executive director and CEO of NEMI.

McElroy notes that the WEEE Directive covers take-back or recovery of electronic products, including dismantling and disposition of parts and subassemblies, as well as labeling, marking and reporting requirements. As proposed, manufacturers will be responsible for take-back and recycling of any product sold in the EU and may also be required to pay a deposit to the country of import to cover recycling costs. Furthermore, this type of legislation is not limited to Europe. End-of-life issues are also being discussed in California, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.

The NEMI workshop is being organized to provide companies with better insight into the impact of key legislation and to assess impact on the supply chain for North American companies. Topics to be covered include take-back, reuse and recycling; information systems to track materials used in products; and design for environment.

Anyone interested in participating should contact NEMI at 703-834-0330 or info@nemi.org; or visit the NEMI web site (www.nemi.org) for an agenda and sign-up form.