Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Backers of electronics recycling seek unified laws
|
Edition:
U.S.
Article
Comments (0)
Save
Email
Print
Reprints
Most Popular
Most Shared
Gold bullion stolen from Florida treasure museum
19 Aug 2010
Employment varies widely state to state
11:50am EDT
Scientists Map Massive North Atlantic Garbage Patch
19 Aug 2010
Private spaceship carrier plane damaged in test
12:51pm EDT
Biden says voters won't like Republican alternative
2:06pm EDT
Police bust Paris "booby" trap gang
18 Aug 2010
Cameron Diaz ranked most dangerous Web celeb: study
19 Aug 2010
S&P and Dow fall for second week on recovery woes
4:47pm EDT
New York Haitians wary of Wyclef Jean president bid
19 Aug 2010
BHP sets Potash bid but may need to pay much more
| Video
4:41pm EDT
Gold bullion stolen from Florida treasure museum
19 Aug 2010
Miss Universe costumes
17 Aug 2010
Miss Universe: swimwear
11:20am EDT
Canadian police find bears guarding pot crop
19 Aug 2010
Google CEO Exposes Dark Side of Social Networking
18 Aug 2010
Facebook's 4 Big Rivals in Location-Based Technology
19 Aug 2010
Leaving Iraq
19 Aug 2010
Robber nabbed after mocking police in email
19 Aug 2010
Comic character's McDonald's binge sparks Gallic outcry
18 Aug 2010
Police bust Paris "booby" trap gang
18 Aug 2010
Backers of electronics recycling seek unified laws
Digg This
Tweet This
Share on LinkedIn
Share on Facebook
Related News
FEATURE-US nuclear waste issue could be solved, if...
Tue, Aug 17 2010
UPDATE 1-Gulf BlackBerry row lifts veil on state cyberspies
Fri, Aug 6 2010
Analysis: Toxic fish could help Obama hit 2020 climate goals
Mon, Jul 26 2010
Analysis & Opinion
Gulf BlackBerry row lifts veil on state cyberspies
How green are your gadgets?
Related Topics
Technology »
iPad »
Green Business »
Hundreds of used cellphones sit waiting to be recycled at the offices of ECO ATM, a start-up company, in San Diego, California April 20, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Mike Blake
By Alyson Zepeda and Carolina Madrid
LOS ANGELES/HOUSTON |
Fri Aug 20, 2010 4:49pm EDT
LOS ANGELES/HOUSTON (Reuters) - Julayna Smith has a problem. Over the years, she has accumulated eight cell phones in trying to keep up with the latest models. Her boyfriend has also started a small Blackberry pile of his own.
"I don't know the first place to look to recycle a phone, I just have no idea where I would start," she said.
Smith, 22, of Duluth, Minnesota, is not alone.
States, cities and consumer groups are increasingly looking for a federal solution to the growing problem of getting rid of more than 2 million tons of used electronic gadgets each year.
Hundreds of millions of them are produced annually to meet demand for the latest smartphones, laptops or TVs. The average U.S. household owns 25 electronics products, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. But recycling them is regulated mostly by local or state governments, and rules can change from one locale to the next leading to confusion for both consumers and companies that make and sell electronics.
By recycling, Smith and people like her could help recover valuable resources such as gold and platinum that are common in many electronics, and they would help properly dispose of toxic metals like lead and mercury that also are used in electronics and can contaminate soil if carelessly discarded.
"The states are developing their own requirements for electronics recycling because there hasn't been anything on the national level implemented," said Ken Reisinger, who oversees waste, air and radiation management for Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection.
Pennsylvania is just one of 27 states that currently has no electronics recycling legislation, although it might soon leave those ranks with a proposed law requiring manufacturers to pay an annual fee and establish free collection sites.
As of June 2010, 23 states had enacted some kind of electronics recycling legislation, according to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office.
But most consumers are unaware of local laws, and states and municipalities have difficulty enforcing them because the often small devices easily fit inside garbage cans.
"The state can't stand on the curbside every Tuesday morning monitoring people's trash. That's not feasible, so we rely on public education," said California's electronics waste recycling manager Jeff Hunts.
PROMOTING RECYCLING
In California, retailers collect a fee of between $8 and $25 on the sale of devices with a video screen greater than four inches in width, which includes PC monitors, laptops, portable DVD players and most TVs. The fee is used by the state to pay for the collection and recycling of old products.
Among ways to reach people, state and local officials regularly mail brochures to residents to explain electronics recycling. For consumers where it is still not required by laws, groups and websites such as Earth911.com offer help.
Jennifer Berry, a spokeswoman with the environmental group said that aside from offering general recycling information on their website, Earth911.com keeps an extensive list of over 110,000 recycling opportunities nationwide. "People simply don't know what to do with (electronics), which is why providing our directory is important," Berry said.
Like others, Berry said that while local and state efforts are steps in the right direction, the lack of a national policy makes it challenging for businesses to comply with so many rules and regulations.
In 2006, when only four states had implemented electronics recycling laws, a report by the National Center for Electronics estimated that if 20 states had laws, manufacturers and retailers could avoid nearly $57 million in costs per year under a national program.
Parker Brugge, director of government relations for Best Buy, among the world's largest electronics retailer, noted that the patchwork of regulations creates a lot of paperwork and to get around that, his company has instilled its own policy of taking back electronics and recycling them.
"We try to cut through that (red tape) with our national approach," Brugge said.
Recently, the U.S. Government Accountability Office recommended that the Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees waste management, reevaluate its efforts aimed at recycling electronics. The EPA agreed to work toward further integration of their programs to achieve "nationwide environmentally responsible management of used electronics."
Meanwhile, local governments continue to craft their own laws. California's Hunts said each of the programs has strengths and weaknesses, and officials have a lot to learn from one another.
Still, he was quick to add that, "in the long-run, the country would do well under a unified system regardless of what model it is, so that consumers wouldn't have to know what the law was in one state versus some other state, and so that manufacturers and recyclers know what rules apply."
(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Technology
iPad
Green Business
Add a Comment
*We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters.
© Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters
Editorial Editions:
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
United States
Reuters
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Help
Journalism Handbook
Archive
Site Index
Video Index
Reader Feedback
Mobile
Newsletters
RSS
Podcasts
Widgets
Your View
Analyst Research
Thomson Reuters
Copyright
Disclaimer
Privacy
Professional Products
Professional Products Support
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Careers
Online Products
Acquisitions Monthly
Buyouts
Venture Capital Journal
International Financing Review
Project Finance International
PEhub.com
PE Week
FindLaw
Reuters on Facebook
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
Other News on Saturday, 21 August 2010 Dutch teen set to depart Portugal for solo sailing bid
U.S. seeks to relaunch direct Mideast peace talks
|
Venezuela quashes press photo ban amid outcry
Taliban kill 30 security guards
Berlusconi December poll warning brings rebels in line
Unchecked migration would see Singapore swell, Haiti halve
Japan's Panasonic to boost plasma panel output in China
Iran's Bushehr plant 'not a proliferation risk'
Massive power cut hits Saint Petersburg: official
France slashes 2011 growth forecast
Iran says it may halt high-level fuel enrichment
Jordanian journalists furious over new cyber crimes law
BP Oil Well's End Is Near, But Prosecutions Are Still Coming
Cyprus says will not allow Gaza-bound aid ship
|
Mideast Quartet sees treaty deal within a year
Initial Claims For U.S. Jobless Benefits Rise To Nine-Month High
Spelling-Challenged Government Botches Pres. John Quincy Adams' Name On Back Of U.S. Visa and Border Crossing Card
Cyprus says will not allow Gaza-bound aid ship
Russia lifts fire emergency in three regions
Clinton Announces Middle East Peace Talks For September 2
Azerbaijan Supreme Court rejects bloggers' appeal: lawyer
Taliban kill up to 30 in south Afghanistan attack
|
Al Qaeda claims responsibility for attack in Iraq
Michael J. Fox To Face Off With "The Good Wife"
Haiti and Wyclef Jean await election candidates list
|
Google photographing French streets again
HSBC Fined 375K For Not Properly Informing Clients Of CMO Risks
Bodies recovered after attack on Afghan road crew
Russia's Putin sacks top forestry aide after fires
|
Google to hire 200 in Ireland
Larry King's CNN Exit To Be Postponed
Strong earthquake hits Papua New Guinea: USGS
Israel, Palestinians to hold talks in Washington
E.Timor seeks 'strong' commercial ties with Myanmar
Myanmar's USDP opens offices ahead of vote
Tutu calls S.Africans to unite with a BBQ
New film explores the decline in female rappers
You Only Live Once: Guca festival lures trumpet afficionados
Backers of electronics recycling seek unified laws
|
Madonna sued over Material Girl clothing line
|
James Patterson tops list of highest earning authors
|
Girls Gone Wild chief bites back at Piranha 3D
|
Period between DVD and video on demand releases shrinks
|
Japan's Miyazato leads at LPGA Safeway Classic
China's Ansteel says it is committed to US deal
TBS To Feature All New Episodes Of Tyler Perrys Meet The Browns
Mekong river can be economic heart of region: Cambodia
Weekly Recap: U.S. Markets
Elizabeth Shue Talks Getting Physical On "Pirahna 3-D"
"Idol" Winner Lee DeWyze's Album Due In November
UK Labour leadership candidate ridiculed by press
UK charity says Blair donation 'no-win situation'
Berlusconi December poll warning brings rebels in line
Eminem And Rihanna Spend Fifth Week At #1 On Billboard Hot 100
France defies critics to push on with Roma expulsions
50,000 evacuated in China flooding near N.Korea border
N.Korea prepared to return to nuclear talks: reports
Exit polls give Australia PM slim election lead
Reformist leader makes comeback in N.Korea
China seized 100 tonnes of melamine-laced milk powder
Eight officers killed in Philippines rebel ambush: police
Spelling-Challenged Government Botches Pres. John Quincy Adams' Name On Back Of U.S. Visa and Border Crossing Card
China to restrict knife sales ahead of Asian Games
Over 50,000 evacuated as floods hit northeast China
Aid pours in but UN warns of long road ahead for Pakistan
US-TECH Summary
Backers of electronics recycling seek unified laws
Facebook grabs Hot Potato mobile check-in startup
Apple shuts Quattro to focus on iAd mobile ad platform
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights