April 2005 Newsletter
National E-waste Legislation
Advanced Recovery Fee (ARF): The Way to Go
Advancing Sustainability in Oregon Schools
RA Seeks New Contractor
Urgent Legislative Update: Senate Bill 740
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Senators Ron Wyden and Jim Talent introduce
national bill
Oregon's Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.) introduced legislation
on March 3 that would give tax incentives to consumers and industry for their
safe disposal of old or outdated personal or office electronics that contain
a number of hazardous toxins, including lead, mercury and cadmium.
The Electronic Waste Recycling and Promotion and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 would provide incentives to create the first-ever nationwide electronic waste recycling infrastructure, making it more convenient and cost-effective for American consumers to recycle computers, computer monitors, laptop computers and televisions. The proposed legislation also directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of various e-waste recycling programs to recommend a national program.
"Growing mountains of e-waste are clogging our nation's landfills and posing great risks to Americans' health and to our natural environment," said Wyden. "As technology improves and folks get newer and faster computers, they need a safe and easy way to get rid of their old machines. This legislation gives consumers, recyclers, retailers and manufacturers incentives to recycle old computers responsibly."
A national bill is long overdue. The National Electronic Product Stewardship Initiative is stalled, national stakeholders are in disagreement about what is best, and electronics waste continues to pose an environmental threat at home and abroad.
What does the bill do?
According to Senator Wyden's web site, the Wyden-Talent e-waste recycling bill
would:
• Establish an $8 per unit tax credit for companies that recycle at least
5,000 display screens or computer system units per year.
• Establish a $15 tax credit for consumers who recycle their old computers
and televisions, provided they use qualified recyclers.
• Prohibit the disposal in a municipal solid waste landfill of any electronic
equipment containing a display screen greater than four inches or any computer
system unit beginning three years after the bill is passed. This provision is
contingent upon the EPA Administrator finding that a majority of U.S. households
have reasonable access to e-waste recycling.
• Modify the EPA's Universal Waste Rule to classify display screens and
system units as "universal wastes" to allow for easier collection,
processing, transportation and recycling.
• Require federal executive agencies to ensure that every display screen
or system unit procured by the government is recovered and recycled.
• Direct the EPA Administrator to study and make recommendations to Congress
on the feasibility of establishing a nationwide recycling program that would
preempt any state plan, within one year.
Currently, some states are developing e-waste recycling
programs; however, no such program exists on a national level. A unified, national
program may ultimately be desirable for consumers because manufacturers and
retailers frequently have a difficult time adhering to different standards under
various state laws. Under the current system, states that do not enact their
own recycling laws can become dumping grounds for those that ban e-waste disposal.
Some groups have expressed their support for the approach taken in the Wyden-Talent
e-waste recycling bill, including the National Recycling Coalition, the Environmental
Technology Council, the Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition, Waste Management
Corporation, Hewlett Packard Corporation and Intel Corporation.
Some concerns remain
One key concern is the study to develop a nationwide recycling system for electronics.
As an alternative, a small independent commission could be put in charge of
the study. The commission could use EPA staff, but Congress could assign decision
making to the independent group. The EPA has become increasingly politicized
and would be ill equipped to devise a neutral solution.
The Electronic Waste Recycling and Promotion and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 would favor larger recyclers (those recycling at least 5,000 units) over the smaller players. Why should the smaller recyclers be left out of the tax credit scheme?
Of course, one can ask why taxpayers should pay for the system through tax credits at all. Recycling Advocates has called for an advance recovery fee (ARF) system which is a system that takes taxpayer revenues out of the process and relies on consumer fees collected up front. That is, the cost material recovery and recycling could be built into the price of electronic products.
For more information on the bill or to contact
Senator Wyden, go to
http://www.wyden.senate.gov or call (202) 224-5244.
Advanced Recovery Fee (ARF): The Way to Go
ARF systems streamline recovery and recycling
The Oregon Electronic Stewardship Act (Senate Bill 740) differs significantly from the national e-waste legislation. Senate Bill 740 is based on the implementation of an advanced recovery fee (ARF) system. Recycling Advocates supports SB 740, in part due to its inclusion of an ARF system.
Senate Bill 740 is intended to provide a convenient, responsible, and proactive system for the reuse and recycling of electronic products through the establishment of an Advanced Recycling Fee paid at the point of purchase. This legislation will create local jobs in the collection, recycling and reuse industries, conserve financial and natural resources and ensure proper handling of hazardous waste.
Oregon's problem
New electronic products are released every day, creating a backlog of products
that require recycling and disposal. In 2004, an estimated 18 million pounds
of electronics became obsolete in Oregon homes and small businesses. Experts
estimate that only about 10% of these products are currently recycled. That
means that millions of dollars are wasted in lost commodities, energy, and resources.
Improper disposal of the lead, mercury, and other hazardous materials in electronics
poses health risks to people.
Local governments cannot bear the burden of disposing of this waste. Statewide,
the costs for convenient service to the public would range from $2.2 million
to $3.1 million per year. In Lane County, where they have instituted a program
to collect and process these materials, the costs are between $5 and $20 per
item. It's inefficient and costly for the County to deal with electronic waste
at a local scale. A statewide solution will increase efficiency by creating
economies of scale for recycling these products.
The public wants recycling options for their old
electronics. In 2004, Dell held collection days for the public in 17 cities
in the United States. The Portland event was in the top five based on volume
collected, bringing in 142 tons. Calls to the Metro hotline asking where to
recycle electronics increased 15% last year to nearly 6,000.
The problem will only get worse unless citizens act now. As more unused electronics
accumulate in homes, and as their recycled value declines with age, the recycling
system will cost more and more. Oregon's backlog of old computers and TVs in
storage is projected to grow by over 300,000 units this year - an accumulated
cost that is increasing by $4 million each year.
Oregon's solution
The Oregon Electronic Stewardship Act uses an ARF system to solve the state's
e-waste problem. If Oregon established convenient recycling opportunities, supporters
of SB 740 conservatively expect to collect over 9 million pounds each year based
on data from collection programs elsewhere in the U.S.
An ARF system does not cost taxpayers more, since it brings in its own funding via a fee paid by the consumers of electronic products.
The Oregon legislation does not build up a large government program to handle electronics waste. On the contrary, The legislation, and ARF systems in general, offer a private sector solution because private businesses and non-profits deliver the necessary services.
Oregon's effort to develop an ARF solution can
contribute to the creation of a national approach for dealing with electronics
waste. For more information on ARF systems and the SB 740,
download the "Fact
Sheet" from Recycling Advocates.
Source: Oregon Coalition for Electronics Product
Stewardship Fact Sheet
Advancing Sustainability in Oregon Schools
New initiative to create tools and resources
and support their implementation
In 2003 the Oregon Sustainability Board (OSB) and Oregon Solutions began a sustainable
schools initiative that brought key stakeholders together, including Lori Stole,
RA Board Vice-President. There was clearly interest in the topic and in the
last months, following discussions with Oregon Solutions, the OSB, the Department
of Education and the Governor's office, Lori and her colleagues at the Zero
Waste Alliance (ZWA) have developed this project into the comprehensive and
long-term Sustainable Oregon Schools (SOS) Initiative. Last month its management
transferred to ZWA.
This will be a first-in-the-US initiative to engage
a large, broadly representative group of stakeholders in order to develop the
topics and issues that lead to sustainability in K-12 schools. It's the goal
of the Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative to move Oregon's K-12 school districts
and their schools toward a comprehensive state of sustainability, guided internally
by a system for its implementation and management; and supported externally
by resources from a permanent statewide program.
Sustainability means the management of environmental, social and economic priorities
so that we meet our current needs without destroying the ability of future generations
to meet their needs. A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates our
society is on a collision course with nature. Current trends in climate change,
pollution and depletion of resources will negatively impact our children's and
grandchildren's ability to live safe and healthy lives. The goal of the Sustainable
Oregon Schools Initiative is to prepare the coming generation to successfully
manage and even reverse these trends, while helping schools to better manage
these priorities now.
Some schools are already addressing aspects of sustainability with promising
results. A La Pine school improved indoor air quality and thereby reduced absenteeism
due to asthma. A Portland middle school integrated sustainability within its
curriculum that led to higher employee retention, a waiting list for admission
and numerous awards. Salem schools implemented an energy conservation program
that resulted in substantial cost savings and national recognition. These individual
efforts are valuable, but schools can experience even greater benefits by embracing
a comprehensive vision of sustainability just as businesses and governments
are now doing.
The 3.5-year initiative has three phases:
The 6-month engagement phase starts with formation of a steering committee which
will help guide the project. Stakeholders will be engaged, including such groups
as schools, parents, school associations, non-profit organizations, businesses
and government agencies. The SOS web site will be launched, which will be a
focal point for everything related to school sustainability. It will link the
diverse topic areas in the state that together impact the sustainability of
our schools. Each of the many topic areas will have a web page that connects
to the active organizations, programs, case studies, and supporting resources
as they are either identified or created by the initiative.
During the 1-year resource development phase a
set of resources and tools will be created. The vision of a sustainable school
will be developed. Up to 15 topic areas will be developed in detail by teams
of stakeholders with a broad range of expertise within that topic. The topic
teams will develop key sustainability definitions, measurable criteria and supporting
resources for their topic areas. This will become the basis for a comprehensive
assessment tool that will help schools evaluate themselves and determine possible
next steps. A sustainability implementation model for both school districts
and individual schools will be developed and piloted. In addition, there will
be an award program that will generate interest, discussion and friendly competition
among schools as they work their way toward sustainability.
The final 2-year phase is for education, outreach and implementation support. During this critical phase schools and school districts will be encouraged to participate, and supported as they begin. Involvement with the initiative will be voluntary.
The success of this initiative will make Oregon
a national leader in sustainability and will provide a unique model for the
nation. For more information or to get involved in the Sustainable Oregon Schools
Initiative, contact Lori Stole at (503) 591-1454.
Do you have the administrative and newsletter
skills we need?
Recycling Advocates, Oregon's only grassroots organization dedicated to creating
a sustainable future through local efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle, is
seeking a contractor to provide administrative management support, limited to
30 hours per month. Contractor must provide his/her own office and transportation,
and have the ability to contact members, volunteers, and the public during regular
business hours.
Some of the contractor's tasks include bookkeeping,
newsletter writing, editing, and layout, membership database management, volunteer
coordination, and Board support.
The length of the contract is one year, with annual renewals possible.
After nearly three years as RA contractor, Jeffrey White is moving on to his new career in early childhood education. During his tenure at Recycling Advocates, Jeffrey has helped to lower RA's newsletter costs, expanded the e-mail distribution of the newsletter, written numerous original articles, improved RA's bookkeeping and financial controls, and assisted with initiating a fundraising appeal letter campaign.
For information on how to apply for the contract, contact Recycling Advocates at info@recyclingadvocates.org or (503) 777-0909.
Urgent Legislative Update: Senate Bill 740
Electronics stewardship bill still needs your support
On March 29, members of the Senate Environment and Land Use Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 740, also known as the Oregon Electronics Stewardship Act. According to RA Board Secretary Wayne Rifer, the hearing went well. "The testimony was very strong, thanks to the excellent turnout and good showing by all. I think we put SB 740 on the map."
Supporters of the bill have been in meetings with
individual legislators. Currently, the bill's backers are planning the next
steps. We'd like to thank the RA members who acted upon our "Action Alert"
by contacting their senators and the members of the Environment and Land Use
Committee.
You can still help
If you have yet to contact your Senator or members
of the committee, there is still time. The RA web site includes a "Fact
Sheet" and a sample support letter at
www.recyclingadvocates.org/getactive.htm.
To find out who your Senator is go to
www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr. Readers
can also call the Oregon Legislature at (503) 986-1000 to obtain information
about contacting senators.