Archive for the ‘Computer Recycling’ Category
Members take sides on NRC’s future
September 2nd, 2009 | 
Author: May 14, 2009
1 | Members take sides on NRC’s future
Just one week after the National Recycling Coalition floated the possibility of a merger with Keep America Beautiful as a way of alleviating the financial hardships currently plaguing the organization, NRC members have begun sounding off in droves. Preliminary findings of a poll administered by Resource Recycling indicate that, of the 703 NRC members who replied at the time of this writing, over two-thirds are against any merger.
“KAB’s mission is litter reduction whereas NRC’s has always been about promoting recycling as a beneficial alternative to raw materials extraction,” commented NRC member Mark Loughmiller of the Arcata Community Recycling Center in California. “Litter reduction is a side benefit of the recycling process but is not the motivator for those within the industry.”
Other survey comments from NRC members were more blunt: “I don’t think that watering down the NRC with a KAB partnership is wise because of the headaches associated with this organization!” writes Bryce Hulsey of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. “There would be a better alliance with the bottle bill folks and SWANA.”
Dissent was not uniform among members, however. “While a national forum for recycling is necessary, I think local issues are also important,” said Adam Schlachter of Norseman Plastics. “One of the benefits that a NRC/KAB merger will provide is locally-driven execution. Some of the major issues that could be tacked include a buy-recycled marketplace push, market development initiatives, regional recycling initiatives, etc. Most KAB groups are members of state trade associations (which in turn join NRC) and so there is definite benefit by pushing national ideas to local affiliates for execution.”
Interestingly enough, the percentages are roughly reversed among non-NRC members surveyed. The majority — 58 percent — of the 480 non-members polled support a potential NRC/KAB deal, with many of those responses coming from KAB-active cities. 67 percent of NRC members oppose any potential deal.
Averaged together, only 43 percent of all respondents indicated they would support a merger between NRC and KAB. Another similar survey of 117 industry members by Waste & Recycling News indicated a somewhat greater disparity, with only 26.5 percent supporting a NRC/KAB merger.
Link:
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs003/1101941066519/archive/1102581541779.html
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The e-Steward Standard is finished.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Basel Action Network is pleased to announce the solution to one of the most serious toxic waste issues of our time:
The e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment®
The Standard is the result of long collaboration between the environmental community and leaders in the recycling, auditing, occupational health, data security, and manufacturing industries as well as from the accredited third party certification industry. It is the standard that will be applied in the e-Stewards third party audited, accredited certification for electronics recyclers that will be begin in early 2010.
Two documents are now available:
The complete e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment (which contains the entire ISO 14001 standard) that serves as the basis for official certifications. Our use of ISO proprietary language and our licensing of it from ANSI requires a purchase price. To purchase, click here to go to the purchase page, where you will see a “Buy Now” button. Or, send a check for $125 dollars payable to The Basel Action Network, 122 South Jackson Street, Suite 320, Seattle, WA, 98104, along with an email address and we will send you a PDF copy.
An excerpted version of the complete Standard, which contains all the industry-specific e-Stewards performance requirements, but only summarizes the ISO requirements. This version may not be used for the purposes of certification. The purpose of this excerpted document is to provide access to information about the specific e-Stewards requirements that are built into the ISO requirements for an environmental management system. This version is available at no cost and can be freely distributed. Click here to download.
See www.e-Stewards.org for more information:
Link:
http://electronic-recycling.blogspot.com/2009/07/e-steward-standard-is-finished.html
Toxic e-waste exports present pressing problem
July 31, 2008
Washington, D.C. – Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Gene Green (D-Texas), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), a founding member of the Congressional E-waste Working Group introduced a resolution today (H.Res. 1395) expressing the opposition of the U.S. House of Representatives to the federal policy allowing toxic electronic waste, or “e-waste” exports to developing nations. The resolution also calls for the U.S. to join other developed nations to ban such trade.
“We have introduced this resolution today to draw Congressional and public attention to this pressing problem,” Green said. “Many Americans are unaware that discarded electronics contain lead, mercury, and other toxics and end up being salvaged under inhumane conditions in the developing world.”
“I am encouraged by the efforts to improve e-waste recycling in the U.S., but progress is an illusion when ‘recycling’ means exporting e-waste to be picked over by scavengers under hazardous conditions,” Green said.
“If we export our e-waste improperly, it can come back to haunt us,” Green said. “Instead, we should create jobs by recycling it properly at home.”
See full article here:
http://www.house.gov/list/press/tx29_green/20080731ewaste.html
Federal bill to ban the export of E-waste, suffers from a big loophole
May 19, 2009
Earlier, I supported a US House Resolution to ban the export of toxic e-waste to developing countries. That resolution was turned into a bill by Rep Greene that I can now no longer support. I understand this bill will be introduced this Friday, May 22. I urge our legislators to NOT co-sponsor this legislation and instead ask Rep. Greene and the other co-authors to strengthen the bill to match the intent of the original resolution – to stop the dumping of toxic e-waste on developing countries not equipped to safely and sustainably handle this material.
The main issue I have with the bill is the last exception to the ban on exports of used electronic equipment or parts. It essentially creates a huge loophole that allows anyone who claims the e-waste they ship to developing countries is “intended” for repair and reuse. I know of many companies in the industry who ship equipment to China where it is clear there is no chance the majority of this equipment would actually get repaired and refurbished. Instead, it pollutes countries that are powerless to stop the tide of these toxins.
For full article, click here:
EPA Launches Campaign to Improve Electronics Recycling
1/13/2003
The Environmental Protection Agency has kicked off a campaign called Plug-In Recycling to encourage Americans to reuse or recycle used electronics.
In addition to the EPA, other groups involved in the partnership include Best Buy, AT&T Wireless, Sony, Panasonic, Dell, Sharp, Recycle America, Envirocycle Inc., and Nxtcycle. The goal of the program is to heighten the awareness of the value of reusing and recycling electronics, and to provide increased opportunities to reuse and recycling the materials throughout the country.
The program was announced Jan. 11.
“In the past decade, electronics have spurred economic growth and improved our lives in countless ways, but our growing reliance on electronics has given rise to a new environmental challenge: safe and thoughtful management of electronic waste,” said Marianne Lamont Horinko, EPA Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “Reusing and recycling electronics is something Americans can do in their everyday lives to protect the environment, and this campaign will show them how.
“Many local governments, electronics manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, and non-profit organizations have established reuse and recycling programs for electronics,” Horinko added. “We want to get the word out about these opportunities and build momentum for even more reuse and recycling programs.”
The campaign is one of several new EPA efforts under the Agency’s Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC), which seeks to increase the national recycling rate from 30 to 35 percent and cut the generation of 30 harmful chemicals by 2005.
Under the RCC, EPA is working with electronics manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, and government agencies to reduce the environmental impacts of electronic products during their production, use, and disposal. The Agency will also establish partnerships and alliances with industry, states and environmental groups; provide training, tools and technology assistance for businesses, governments and citizen groups and get the word out through outreach and assistance to the general population, especially to youth and minority groups.
RCC efforts also include: EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, which encourages the manufacture and use of more energy efficient products; and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive’s Federal Electronics Stewardship Challenge. This latter program will use the substantial buying power of the federal government to promote, among other things, the purchase of environmentally preferable electronic products.
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