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ProductsElectronic Equipment and Product StewardshipThe Northwest Product Stewardship Council's electronic equipment subcommittee brings together recyclers, retailers, manufacturers, local businesses and governmental agencies to find product stewardship solutions for used electronic products. Changes to product design, manufacturing processes and recycling processes can save resources and reduce the environmental impact of these products. Check out the NWPSC's electronics product stewardship activities.
What is the Problem?Short Life SpanRapid technological advances in both electornics hardware and software have shortened the useful life of computers and other electornic devices to just a few short years. This encourages consumers to replace their computer systems, cell and smart phones, gaming devices and other equipment more and more frequently. Large VolumesAccording to recycling industry experts, we discard about 400 million units of consumer electronics each year in the U.S. In 2007, LCD TV sales increased 74%. Cell phones and the use of smart phones has boomed, which means the number of obsolete phones is also growing. Toxic ComponentsSecond only to vehicle batteries, glass picture tubes (cathode ray tubes or CRTs) in computer monitors are the single largest source of lead in the waste stream. Flat panel displays contain mercury. Circuit boards also contain lead, chromium, and other hazardous materials. Landfills and incinerators are often not designed to handle large quantities of these wastes. Costly to DisassembleComputers, TVs and other electronic devices were designed to be disposed rather than recycled, therefore it is difficult and costly to separate the high-value recyclable materials and the toxic components from discarded devices. Wasted ResourcesNewer, used computers and electronic devices can be re-used by others if they make their way back into the market soon enough. Many components including glass, plastic and metals can be reclaimed and reprocessed into other consumer products. The Product Stewardship SolutionManufacturers of computers and electronic devices can use product stewardship principles to design their equipment so that there is minimal impact on the environment and little or nothing is wasted during and after the life of the equipment. Here are some ways that manufacturers and product designers can make a difference: Materials Selection and DesignManufacturers can select materials and design the product so that it results in the least impact upon the environment, for example:
To encourage manufacturers to adopt Product Stewardship practices, the NWPSC work group has developed A Guide to Environmentally Preferable Computer Purchasing. The Guide provides suggestions that will help buyers include product stewardship principles in purchasing criteria and bids. Let the manufacturers know that you want environmentally friendly options by speaking with your dollars. The Council has also summarized the various environmental labeling programs for computer equipment. Many of these labels can be used to determine if the equipment is environmentally friendly. Check out the Eco-Labels and Product Certifications for Computers, Monitors and Printers. AcknowledgementsThe NWPSC efforts in electronics product stewardship have been funded by the King County Solid Waste Division, the Seattle Public Utilities, the US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 and the Snohomish County Solid Waste Division. |