Report Assails Computer Manufacturers

A study by the Computer TakeBack Campaign finds U.S. companies slow to reduce the amount of electronics waste, including lead, PVC plastic and other hazardous materials used in computer manufacturing. The study was released Jan. 9.

The report card is issued annually by the Computer TakeBack Campaign to encourage consumers to leverage their buying power to foster greater corporate responsibility for protecting public health, worker safety and the environment. (to read the full report click here)

The report analyzes the information on the web sites of computer companies, compares and measures the environmental qualities of electronic equipment and grades the overall environmental performance of companies.

The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and another group reported last year that as much as 80 percent of electronic waste collected for recycling in the United States was shipped to Asia, mainly China, India and Pakistan – exposing migrant workers to several poisons – despite a 1994 convention banning the export of hazardous waste from rich to poor countries.

The National Safety Council estimates the United States will be awash in 500 million defunct computers and monitors by 2007. Only a handful of American computer makers, including Hewlett-Packard, Dell and IBM, take back old computer equipment for disposal with little or no cost to consumers. The recently released report said less than 10 percent of outdated computer products will be refurbished or recycled.

The report applauded California and Massachusetts for banning the disposal of cathode ray tube monitors and TVs in landfills because of their lead content. Several states and municipalities are considering similar legislation.

The report also praised the European Union, which in October adopted directives that put the burden of recycling on the manufacturer.

Japan, home of the highest-ranking electronics manufacturers, Fujitsu and Canon, passed a law in 2001 requiring manufacturers to recycle certain parts. Japan also requires disclosure of chemical use in production plants.

In the report’s conclusion, the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition states that in general companies need to provide:

1. more environmentally sound products and takeback services;

2. a commitment not to send e-waste to the Third World or prisons and not to form partnerships with recyclers that do;

3. the timing on their toxins reduction and takeback plans;

4. names of products and numbers of units that are recycled, undergo green design improvements, and/or earn ecolabels,

presented in the context of how many products within the same category (i.e., computers, monitors,

printers) the company makes and sells in the same time period;

5. specific environmental attributes of products;

6. specific information on environmental policies, such as recycling practices;

7. actual phase out goals, not tied to emissions reductions or materials management;

8. more specific information on the chemicals used both in products and manufacturing processes;

9. detailed reasons why lead, BFRs, PVCs, and other hazardous materials have not been phased out or are not meeting phase out goals; and