Products

Electronic Equipment and Product Stewardship

The Northwest Product Stewardship Council's electronic equipment work group 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 Span

Rapid technological advances in both computer hardware and software have shortened the useful life of a personal computer to two or three years - and it continues to shrink. This encourages consumers replace their old computer systems more and more frequently. This problem is not only associated with computer products, but with many other electronic products such as TVs, cell phones, and hand held devices.

Currently, TV signals are broadcast in analog and some digital signals. However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is requiring that the TV broadcast industry convert to an all-digital signal by February 2009. Consumers with analog television sets receiving free TV using an antenna will will need a conversion box. It is projected that many consumers will purchase new sets rather than purchase conversion boxes which may result in the disposal of a large number of TVs. The US Department of Commerce provides information about the conversion and how to get a converter box.

Large Volumes

Consistent with the projected increase of new digital TVs, LCD TV sales have increased by 74% in the year 2007. Predictions forecast that by 2010, the LCD television market will triple in volume. All television sales for 2008 are expected to reach 32 million (Electronics Take-Back Coalition).

Cell phone use is growing in the U.S., which means the number of obsolete cell phones is also growing. Wirefly.org estimates that cell phones are replaced about every 18 months. By 2007, this will result in more than 130 million phones being disposed of annually, creating an estimated 65,000 tons of electronic trash. In September 2006, there were about 219.4 million cell phone users in the US, making up about 72% of the entire US population.

In 2007, approximately 150 million personal computers were retired in the United States, enough to fill a hole one acre wide and 3.5 miles deep. At the same time, an estimated 22.4 million PCs were sold in the US which is expected to grow in further years.

Toxic Components

Second 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. 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 Disassemble

Computers and TVs 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 computers.

Wasted Resources

Newer, 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 heavy metals can be reclaimed and reprocessed into other consumer products.

The Product Stewardship Solution

Manufacturers 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 Design

Manufacturers can select materials and design the product so that it results in the least impact upon the environment, for example:

• Green Design
  Design equipment so that is more recyclable, for example, use a single plastic resin and label it so that recyclers can easily identify it and process it correctly. Use a minimal amount of fasteners and make them easy to take apart without having to use special tools.


• Recycled Materials
  Design the equipment using recycled materials such as recycled plastic, glass and metals.


• Nontoxic Materials
  Use low or no toxicity materials do not emit, contain, or produce chemicals that are hazardous to human health such as lead-free solder or switches that do not contain mercury.


• Conserve Resources
  Manufacturers can design products and adopt practices that require fewer resources. For example, computers can be designed to contain less lead, run on less electricity or use renewable energy such as solar power.


• Clean Production
  Cleaner production methods reduce air and water emissions and waste.


• Offer the Product as a Service (Product Leasing)
  Consumers may not be as interested in the owning a product as they are in getting the service the product offers. For example, consumers don't necessarily need to own the plastics and glass in a computer but they want the service the computer gives them - the ability to run software applications, access the internet, etc. Manufacturers can that lease their products to consumers and provide maintenance and upgrade services. Once the computer is past its useful life, manufacturers can take the computer back and have it refurbished or recycled.


• Product Takeback
  Manufacturers can takeback old TVs and computer equipment when the equipment can no longer be used. By taking products back, manufacturers can evaluate the product and make design changes to improve the performance of the product. They can also obtain materials for use in manufacturing new products and can refurbish parts for re-use. In both Washington and Oregon, manufacturers are now required to finance and implement take back programs for computers, monitors and TVs starting in January, 2009.

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.

Acknowledgements

The 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 X and the Snohomish County Solid Waste Division.

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