E-Waste Workshop Participants Explore Extended Producer Responsibility

by Deborah Orrill, CalMAX Coordinator

On April 28, 2000, over 120 people attended a one-day workshop on Extended Producer Responsibility in Mountain View, California. The goal of the workshop was to solicit feedback on the "Draft Principles of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)" prepared by the Electronics Responsibility Initiative Taskforce (ERIT). The event was sponsored by ERIT, and cosponsored by Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, The Materials for the Future Foundation, The California Resource and Recovery Association's Repair, Resale and Reuse Council, and the City of Mountain View. (The proceedings from this workshop can be found at www.svtc.org, as well as a complete list of ERIT members and contact information.) 

Experts from Europe, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Seattle joined local activists, electronics recyclers, electronics manufacturers, and local government officials from throughout California to discuss the development of an EPR agenda in California. Robin Ingenthron from Massachusetts discussed the new ban on cathode ray tubes from landfills, while Tricia Conroy shared the results of the State of Massachusetts' "Anything with a Plug" take-back program. Elena Limbered from the European Environmental Bureau in Brussels gave an enlightening overview of the new Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) initiative, as an example of a strategic action plan that could be undertaken in the United States.

Honorable mention goes to Senator Byron Sher, Chairman of the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee, who gave the keynote presentation while sharing his experience in implementing legislation and the role of producer responsibility in California. Senator Sher discussed California's minimum-content existing EPR. Afternoon workshops included the following: "Building Electronics Recycling Infrastructure," "Building Support for EPR Legislation and Local Resolutions," "Toxic and Chemical Phase-Outs," and "Procurement Specifications."

Ann Schneider, Board Member of the California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA), indicated, "The policies and purchasing specifications refined at this workshop will be adopted by CRRA in June 2000. They will also be the focus of discussions at CRRA's Annual Conference in Sacramento in July, in order to build local government support for EPR for e-waste."

The Electronic Responsibility Initiative Taskforce (ERIT) will continue to develop model ordinances and specification language to build support within the environmental movement in California. The principles were also presented at the International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), held on May 10, 2000 in San Francisco.

The Electronic Responsibility Initiative Taskforce (ERIT) Draft Principles of Extended Producer Responsibility

Zero Waste Principle. Set a goal of no electronic products going to landfills or burning by 2006.

Polluter Pays Principle. Internalize "end-of-life" management cost into the costs of producing products.

Design for the Environment. Producers must accept environmental and health responsibilities proportional to technical innovation goals and phase out persistent, bioaccumulative toxics from their products.

Infrastructure Development. Develop effective infrastructure for reuse, recovery, and recycling. Work with all stakeholders to develop and demonstrate best practices. Encourage investment in domestic reuse, recovery, and recycling processing systems.

Ban Waste Trade. Prohibit the shipping of hazardous materials overseas which violate the Basel Convention.

Implement Improved Environmental, Health and Safety Practices. Develop improved worker health, safety, and environmental protection standards throughout the product chain in the U.S. and overseas.

Close the Loop. Incorporate recovered materials into new products. Develop closed materials cycles.

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Last updated: August 01, 2008