Electronic Products Stewardship
What’s New! ELECTRONIC WASTE – Strengthening the Role of the Federal Government in Encouraging Recycling and Reuse (1.2MB pdf) – this recently released (11/05) GAO report underscores the need for legislation that would encourage the recycling and reuse of electronic waste.
Announcing a New Program to Help Federal Facilities Manage Their Used Electronics. The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, the Federal Network for Sustainability has launched a program to address the large amount of electronic equipment that the federal government is responsible for purchasing, managing and handling at the end of its useful life. This program is called the Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC), to learn more about it please see: http://www.federalelectronicschallenge.net
Because the federal government purchases over $60 billion worth of electronic equipment and services annually, the federal government has the opportunity to provide leadership in the environmentally sound and cost effective management of electronic assets. The FEC will help participating federal facilities and agencies become leaders in facing the new challenges posed by this waste stream. The FEC addresses many parts of the electronic lifecycle; purchasing, use, and end-of-life management. The program can be utilized by federal facilities or agencies that want to purchase greener electronic products, manage their electronic assets in an environmentally sound manner, receive assistance in modifying their current practices, and gain national recognition for their efforts. Any federal agency, facility, or department can join the challenge. The FEC was launched nationally on October 21st at the White House Federal Electronics Stewardship Summit. Signing up to become a Partner is simple. Visit this link for directions: http://www.federalelectronicschallenge.net/pledge.htm
If you have any questions about the FEC please visit the websites above. We encourage you to learn more about this interesting and helpful new program.
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS STEWARDSHIP: WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Computers and other electronic devices are as common in offices as telephones, and their numbers are growing. Faster, more powerful machines quickly replace their predecessors, and ?upgrade? cycles of two or three years are becoming the standard.
While the technology may become obsolete, the glass, steel, and plastic were built to last. Electronic equipment does not come apart easily, and many parts can not be changed separately. The result is the creation of large amounts of costly electronic ‘junk’.
What is the Scope of the Problem?
Federal agencies spent approximately $5 billion on computers alone in FY 1996. This represents about 3.7 percent of the total market (EPA, BEA Analysis). Federal agencies purchased close to $14 billion on electronics / electrical equipment and components in 1998 (Juan Lopez, WHTFR).
Electronics are the fastest-growing portion of the municipal waste stream. In 1998, more than 20 million computer became obsolete, but only 11 percent were recycled (National Safety Council).
By 2004, as many as 315 million obsolete computers could potentially be disposed of in landfills, introducing 4 billion pounds of plastic, 1 billion pounds of lead, 2 million pounds of cadmium, and 400,000 pounds of mercury into the waste stream (Clean Computer Campaign).
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ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS STEWARDSHIP: WHAT IS THE GOAL?
FNS's goal of Electronics Product Stewardship is to change the way federal agencies buy, use, and dispose of electronics and to reduce the impact of federally used electronics on the environment.
As the single largest purchaser of products and services in the world, FNS believes that the Federal government can take on a leadership role by using its enormous purchasing power to influence the market for more sustainable electronic products. The Federal Network for Sustainability has taken the lead by supporting efforts undertaken by the US EPA to develop and promote electronic product stewardship initiatives. Support for these initiatives will continue as part of the overall FNS Green Purchasing strategy.
The FNS Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative will also support upcoming green electronics procurement efforts undertaken by the White House Task Force on Recycling, under the leadership of the Federal Environmental Executive. (For general information on the Task Force, Please visit: http://www.ofee.gov/)
The FNS Electronics Workgroup is still in its initial stages of formation. As it develops, the workgroup will establish more specific goals. Such goals may be based on unit purchases of green electronic equipment, dollar purchases of green electronic equipment, the development of best management practices for green electronics purchases, etc.
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
The purchase, use, and disposal phases for electronic equipment each present their own challenges and opportunities for minimizing environmental impact. Significantly, authority and responsibility for the purchase, use and disposal of electronic products is often spread among several people within an agency. Coordinating these efforts is often the most important precursor to greening an agency's electronics environmental footprint. Each phase is considered separately below.
Best Management Practices: Use Phase
There are many practices during the use phase of electronic equipment that can help minimize the overall environmental impact of the equipment. Some of these include:
Shared printers versus personal printers
Double-sided copying default setting at install
Re-usable toner cartridges
Repair, refurbish, upgrade practices
Leasing (allow upgrade, etc.)
Air quality standards. (E.g. Environment Canada's standards for desktop printers: ozone concentration must not exceed .04 mg/m3; dust concentration must not exceed .24 mg/m3.)
For more information on use phase concerns, you may also wish to visit the following links:
ENERGY STAR
A presentation on "Reducing PC Energy Consumption" (By Cindy Tatham of EZ Conserve at an electronics workshop in Reno)
Best Management Practices: Electronics End-of-Life Management
Redemtech resources; see Data Security White Paper; see Houghton Reno Paper (Case Studies in Reuse, Remarketing, and Recycling).
MN recycling services contract; see above under purchasing
SVTC and BAN Recyclers Pledge of True Stewardship. Does your recycler qualify?
Some OEMs have a take-back program available as a separate service. Check with your vendor. Also, take-back of old equipment can sometimes be stipulated in contracts and bids for new equipment.
Exporting Harm: The High Tech Trashing of Asia
Website listing of recycling service providers (IAER, EIA, SVTC, etc.)
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TOOLS, RESOURCES, WHO TO CALL FOR HELP
ENERGY STAR – U.S. EPA
EPA WasteWise Project
EPA Product Stewardship Program – This website is designed to serve as a resource. It highlights the latest developments in Product Stewardship, both in the United States and abroad, and provides numerous links to other sources of information.
Electronic Industries Alliance
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
Clean Computer Campaign; Clean Computer Report Card
Northwest Product Stewardship Council: A Guide to Environmentally Preferable Computer Purchasing
INFORMATION
The Product Stewardship Institute
International Association of Electronics Recyclers
EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guides
Guide to Environmentally Preferable Computer Purchasing
Demanufacturing of Electronic Equipment for Reuse and Recycling (DEER2)
Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE)
Federal Electronics Stewardship MOU
National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI)
National Recycling Coalition (NRC) Electronics Recycling Initiative
The Oak Ridge National Recycle Center
Proposed Cathode Ray Tube Rule
BACKGROUND
Electronics Workshop (5/14/02 – Reno, NV)
This conference, sponsored by USEPA and FNS, covered the following topics:
Overview of electronics waste issues
Toxicology, regulations, liability
Case studies and success stories
National and international views
Laws, environmental impacts
Costs and design
Purchasing, recycling, and more
For a detailed agenda with links to presentations, please visit:
Electronics Workshop (5/14/02 – Reno, NV)