Climate Change in Washington - Electronic Waste

Electronic Waste

Electronic waste, or e-waste, is the discarded remains of unwanted electronic goods and appliances, such as televisions, computers and cell phones. It currently equals about 1% of the solid waste generated in developed countries. However, it is also the fastest growing part of the municipal waste stream. A 2001 study estimated that 1,600 computers became obsolete each day in Oregon and Washington. E-waste is contains several toxic substances, most notably lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, plastics and brominated flame retardants. While electronic appliances simply sitting in houses do not pose a threat to the environment, once they are discarded and land filled, the toxic substances leach into the ground water. At best, only about 15% of e-waste gets recycled in the US. Most e-waste being collected for recycling are not recycled in developed countries. About 70% of the e-waste generated globally ends up in China, where the recycling practices do more harm than good to the environment. These problems have convinced Washington State and cities within to pass legislation that promotes the increased recycling of e-waste. Snohomish County was the first county to ban land filling of e-waste in November 2002. This was followed by King County in September 2005. Together, these counties have set up the Take-it-back Network, which provides consumers options for recycling hazardous waste in a safe and cost effective manner. Take-it-Back Network members have to commit to environmentally responsible recycling practices and must recycle materials domestically or in developed countries. Washington State followed suit by establishing a producer responsibility system in 2006. Chapter 173-900 WAC, the Electronic Products Recycling Program, requires manufacturers to annually register and submit a fee to the Department of Ecology and must participate in a plan for the collection, transportation and recycling of unwanted e-waste. This program will be in effect starting from 2009.