At present, there are two states including one municipality with existing laws on e-waste. This is on top of the mandate requiring government agencies to recycle electronic waste. California was the first state to have passed e-waste laws in 2003 with Indiana and Wisconsin being the last two to have joined the group of certified environment-friendly states. Laws in these states range from the inclusion of advance recycling fees upon the purchase of electronic devices to the accreditation of recycling companies to enable users to sell electronics. However, a good majority of all these states impose the responsibility of cleaning after from electronic manufacturers.
Otherwise called as the extended producer responsibility, most states would require manufacturers and retailers to recycle or refurbish their unused equipment. While other states are even mandating manufacturers which materials they can or cannot use.
These misguided policies are believed to do more harm than good. It is banked on the idea that since electronic manufacturers are responsible for creating e-waste in the first place, they should only be held liable for how consumers treat their products. Second, a lot of e-waste laws almost directly tell consumers of an impending increase in the costs of electronic products. The requirements for green designs are too costly and these costs would be passed on to consumers.
Our modern landfills can accommodate e-waste with or without hazardous toxic spills. Since e-waste is the fastest growing waste, environmentalists are afraid of landfills soon reaching their tipping points.
However, not all e-waste laws are misguided. In fact, the federal government has established specific guidelines for the disposal of electronics. According to the regulations they’ve set, electronics that test hazardous under Federal Law must be handled differently. You cannot just throw them out or give them away to charities. You would have to sell electronics to special recycling stations that are adequately trained to handle them.
There are also federal requirements set for the regulation of CRTs and other electronics that test hazardous.
• Large quantities, or those over 100 kilograms per month, must be sent to the hazardous waste landfill.
• For small quantities, or those less than 100 kilograms per month, can go to any disposal facility that accommodate solid waste.
• Computers or any other electronics that are commonly used at home are not considered hazardous waste. They are not regulated but that doesn’t mean that you can just throw them out. You can make money by sending them to recycling firms that buy and sell electronics.
The federal government agrees that state requirements for e-waste are more stringent. Nevertheless, private recycling firms are willing to spend money for you if you sell electronics. These firms must be government-recognized and must also conform to the rules set by the federal government with regard to waste management.
States with e-waste laws have all the time and the resources to update the provisions which are faulty. Sections should be included that would give incentives to residents who sell electronics to reputable recycling firms.
To get updated information on recycling, visit www.guzu.com.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, as much as three-fourths of the computers sold are just piled up in garages and closets. This means that since they are unused, they will eventually be sold in garage sales, auction houses and second hand shops. If they are no longer in working conditions, they are sent to recycling stations where they are salvaged for parts, refurbished and/or shipped abroad to be resold. In certain states, there are recycling stations that are willing to buy unused or used electronics.