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By the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste

Cristina Connections talked to the Municipal Waste Reduction Branch of the Office of Solid Waste at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about key areas they are addressing regarding the disposal of used computers and related technology. When NCF began its work in 1985 the rate of retirement relative to the installed base of PCs in the United States of 22 million personal computers was 1 million machines (Gartner Group). As of December, 2004 according to IDC (International Data Corp), the installed base in the United States was 237.5 million computers. According to eBay in their Rethink press release dated January 6, 2005, these were being retired at the rate of 133,000 PCs daily. The proper disposition of such technology is becoming an increasingly critical agenda as our society confronts the ever growing challenge of preserving the integrity of our environment.

CC: What is the nature of the problem of e-waste?

EPA: As home and business electronics are outgrown, EPA expects to see the stream of unwanted or obsolete e-scrap continue to increase. Approximately 2.8 million tons of consumer electronics were “discarded” in 2003. This includes personal computers, TVs, other video and audio products, telephones, fax machines, printers, and modems. Of this amount, approximately 10 percent was recycled. The remainder was either reused, resold, stored, or disposed.
Source: Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2003 Facts and Figures.

CC: What is Product Stewardship?

EPA: Product stewardship is a product-centered approach to environmental protection. Product stewardship looks to those in the product life cycle—manufacturers, retailers, users, and disposers—to share responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts of products.

CC: What does the concept of shared responsibility mean for all of us?

EPA: Product stewardship recognizes that all of us can and must take on new responsibilities to reduce the environmental footprint of the products we make, sell, use and discard. This includes consumers who can use products that are designed with recycling in mind and look for opportunities to reuse or recycle these products safely when they are no longer wanted. Manufacturers can take on new responsibilities to make product stewardship work. For example, they can reduce the use of toxic substances where practicable, design products that are more energy efficient, design for reuse and recyclability and create or assist in takeback programs. Retailers are one of the most effective gateways to product stewardship. They can promote products that offer greater environmental performance, educate the consumer on environmentally preferable purchasing, and participate in direct takeback or assist in product recovery in other ways.

Shared responsibility, however, recognizes that lasting, structural change usually cannot be achieved by one set of actors working alone. Consumers, manufacturers, retailers, government, recyclers, and the existing waste management infrastructure will often have to collaborate to offer the most workable and cost-effective solutions for product stewardship to truly take hold. The solutions and the actors will vary from one product system to another. This is why “shared responsibility” is essential to product stewardship.

CC: Why think about computer products within a life cycle framework?

EPA: We at EPA are focusing on PCs and TVs from a life cycle framework because doing so presents the best opportunities for reducing risk and conserving resources at all phases of the life cycle of these products – from manufacture, during use, to management at the end of its useful life. EPA is working with manufacturers of electronics to find alternatives to lead solder. Lead solder is commonly used in many electronic products, but the European Union will require phase out of these uses. We have also worked with the industry to compare the life cycle environmental impacts of cathode ray tubes (the large monitors used for PCs and TVs) with flat panel displays. This work has helped to illuminate opportunities for reducing environmental impacts in the making of these products. We have also worked with manufacturers, recyclers, environmental groups and government procurement officials on EPEAT --- a purchasing tool to help large institutional buyers of electronics to identify environmentally preferable products.

We are also beginning to do more work to promote reuse of IT equipment. For example, some users of technology may outgrow their IT assets quickly, but this does not mean that these products are not perfectly good for someone else to use. A product that is no longer of use to a business may have lots of life left in for a non-profit organization or a school-either in its original form or with some refurbishment. In addition, when a product does not meet the technological needs of a user, its parts or materials may still have value. Reusing whole products or parts or materials from a computer translates into a reduced need to mine and process virgin materials-typically energy intensive and environmentally challenging practices. So back to the life cycle-when we design for longer lived products and products that can be reused and recycled easily, we are doing right by the environment and the consumer.

CC: Tell us about your site called Plug-In To eCycling

EPA: Our Plug-In To eCycling program (www.plugintoecycling.org) is a consumer electronics campaign working to increase the number of electronic devices collected and safely reused and recycled in the United States. Plug-In To eCycling is one component of EPA's Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC), a national effort to find flexible, yet more protective ways to conserve our valuable resources. It is also part of EPA's Product Stewardship Program.

Through Plug-In, we have partnered with 21 manufacturers and retailers of consumer electronics as well as 26 governments, many of whom are trying to help Americans solve the puzzle of what to do with old electronics. These partners have created opportunities for Americans to recycle their unwanted electronics and have also helped spread the word about the importance of doing so. Plug-In partners have also tested ways of sharing the responsibility for electronics recycling across manufacturers, retailers, government, and the public while also making it easier for Americans to do the right thing with these products.

Through our Plug-In To eCycling website we provide individuals, manufacturers, retailers, governments, businesses and nonprofits with the tools they need to become more actively engaged in product stewardship of electronics. For example, to help individuals and businesses find outlets for donating their old computer equipment we link to other organizations, such as National Christina Foundation, that specialize in donating equipment and provide tips on how to best position your unwanted electronics for reuse. For those who want to know where to recycle, we link to websites that can provide information on collection events throughout the country.

We also use the site to communicate our partners’ accomplishments and to inspire others to follow their lead. To help other manufacturers and retailers learn more about innovative approaches in collecting and financing collection of used electronics, we’ve provided information on their pilot collection efforts (in-store and otherwise), which outline successes and lessons for others interested in doing something similar. Finally, for all interested parties, we offer a toolkit for setting up a collection event, questions to ask when picking a recycler, and guidelines EPA developed to promote safe, environmentally sound recycling.

CC: What is the Federal Electronics Challenge?

EPA: The Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) is a challenge issued to Federal partners to become environmental stewards of electronics during their entire life cycle. The FEC encourages Federal departments, agencies and facilities to purchase more environmentally-sustainable electronic products, reduce the impacts of electronic products during use, and manage obsolete electronics in an environmentally safe and cost-effective way.

The Federal government is the largest block purchaser of electronics in the world. In fiscal year 2004, Federal agencies awarded billions of dollars in IT contracts for products and services. The majority of the 1.8 million employees in the Federal government have personal computers that are used on an average of three years before they are replaced. It has been estimated that the government discards upwards of 10,000 computers each week.

On November 15, 2004 (America Recycles Day), the Executive Office of the President, together with 11 Federal departments and agencies, committed to advancing the electronics stewardship goals and practices in the government. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the largest information technology (IT) purchasers and users in the Federal government is the foundation upon which the FEC is built – promoting practices and approaches that improve the quality, performance, and environmental management of Federal electronic assets throughout their life cycle. To date, 44 Federal facilities have joined the FEC.

More information on the FEC can be found at www.federalelectronicschallenge.net

CC: What is the EPEAT tool? Why was it developed?

EPA: Many large public and private organizations today are interested in purchasing environmentally preferable computer equipment. To make this task easier, a multi-stakeholder group –representing electronic manufacturers, public and private purchasers, environmental groups, academia and recyclers -- came together to develop the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).

EPEAT, due out in early 2006, is designed to help purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, laptops and monitors based on their environmental attributes. The EPEAT program and criteria have been designed to be a leadership standard with the capability to evolve over time and continue to “raise the bar” for environmentally preferable equipment. EPEAT initially addresses desktop computers, laptops and monitors and will list these products according to three tiers of increasing environmental performance – Bronze, Silver and Gold.

EPEAT will provide purchasers with an easy way to specify and purchase environmentally preferable computer equipment. Users need only include the desired EPEAT performance level they are seeking in their bids packages. EPEAT’s three-tier structure will give buyers the flexibility to select equipment that meets the basic requirements or give preference to models with additional environmental attributes.

While the tool has not yet been finalized, information on its overall program structure and the draft environmental performance criteria is already available online at www.epeat.net. The website also provides guidance for purchasers interested in incorporating EPEAT criteria into their future procurements.