Recycling Computers and Electronic Equipment: Legislative and Regulatory Approaches for 'E-Waste'

摘要

Rapid growth in the use of computers and the incorporation of electronic features in a wide array of consumer products have been among the most important driving forces of the nations economy during the last decade; but they also pose major potential environmental problems. In addition to producing better products, the improvements in technology have created growing volumes of obsolete products to be managed as waste. According to the National Safety Council, which undertook the first major effort to gather quantitative information on electronic product recycling, 55.4 million personal computers will become obsolete in the United States in 2002. At an average weight of 70 pounds, obsolete PCs weighing 3.878 billion pounds will be added to the supply of waste needing management in 2002 alone. Management of these products as waste is of concern in part because of their volume, but more importantly because they contain large amounts of heavy metals and other toxic substances. This report provides background on the management of discarded computers, discusses some of the initiatives undertaken in the United States and abroad, and identifies options that Congress might consider if it were to address this issue.