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 About WEPSI
Description, organizers, stakeholders, projects and more
Product Stewardship
What is product stewardship? Why electronics?
NEPSI
National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative
Regulations
State, federal and international
Resources
Links
Recycle Your Computer!
Consumer products recycling info.
Calendar of Events
Upcoming WEPSI and related events
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Stakeholders
Designers and manufacturers | Retailers | Refurbishers | Recyclers | NGOs | Government | End-users | Second-tier users
Who are the stakeholders in the life cycle impact of electronics?
The responsibility for the environmental impact of electronic items is shared among all of the parties that design, manufacture, market, deliver, sell, buy, use, recycle, and dispose of the equipment. Currently, the end-of-life issues are the responsibility of the user and the local government that deals with solid waste. Environmental and public health organizations are concerned about the appropriate disposal of the toxics that are contained in the equipment. All of these businesses and organizations have a stake in the products of the electronics industry. The Western Electronic Product Stewardship Initiative (WEPSI) is designed to gather representatives from each aspect of the product's life cycle for discussion. This communication process will facilitate the opportunity to share perspectives, ideas, and solutions to problems that this high-volume, high turnover industry experiences.
Designers and manufacturers
Computers and televisions contain plastic, copper, iron, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, tin, and gold, among other things. Once these valuable but sometimes toxic materials are in the market, they need to be used wisely without being sent to the landfill. Therefore, system and component designers and manufacturers need to be involved to discuss their options for designing equipment for the environment, including minimizing or eliminating use of toxics. Examples of this classification of stakeholders are Compaq, Sun, Dell, Apple, IBM, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and many others.
Retailers
Electronic equipment obsolescence has motivated users to upgrade systems after just a few years of service. Retailers need to be involved in the product stewardship discussion to present their knowledge of component upgrade versus full system replacements. The retailers might be recruited to participate in take back programs and should be at the discussion table to offer their possibilities and limitations for retailer services. Examples of computer system and television retailers include Office Depot, Fry's, Best Buy, and many other retail outlets of all sizes.
Refurbishers
There is a market for used computers. This market is quite often first time users, or those who cannot afford the $1,000-plus for a new system. As the upgrade time window decreases, the availability of usable components increases. This practice helps the many non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses that refurbish systems. By providing society with the service of maximizing the utility of the components, they are an integral part of the product stewardship discussion. Examples of this type of stakeholders are public and private schools, some locations of St. Vincent de Paul, non-profit businesses such as Free Geek in Portland, OR, and many others. Many of these businesses serve a small geographical area. For a detailed listing of Pacific Northwest locations that accept systems for refurbishing and distribute refurbished systems, see Recycle Your Computer.
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Recyclers
Many of these discarded systems and components have little or no life left in them. Recyclers use various methods to extract the usable materials and resources from this equipment. Their knowledge of the recycling markets and extraction techniques make them an invaluable part of the product stewardship discussion. Currently, these items are usually recycled by businesses created specifically for recycling. Sometimes the OEMs are involved with recycling as well. Examples of companies involved in this sector are Quantum Resource Recovery in Beaverton, OR, Computer Drive Connection in Cornelius, OR, Waste Management, and Goldsmith Group in Indianapolis, IN. For a detailed listing of Pacific Northwest locations that recycle this equipment see Recycle Your Computer. There are many others scattered throughout the nation.
NGOs
The heavy metals and other toxic materials that are contained in electronic equipment are hazardous to the environment and to humans if improperly handled. Many non-governmental organizations involved in toxics, environmental preservation, and human health are participating in the electronic product stewardship initiative to offer their expertise in the solution process. Examples of these organizations are National Waste Prevention Coalition, Oregon Environmental Council, Washington's and Oregon's Public Interest Research Groups, Washington Environmental Council, Oregon Center for Environmental Health, and the Oregon and Washington recycling trade associations.
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Government
Unwanted computers and televisions become solid waste. This is the phase of the electronic equipment's life cycle that involves local governments as a function of their mandate to provide safe and appropriate disposal opportunities to the citizens. The local government solid waste planners are a driving force in the stakeholder discussion. In a product stewardship model the ultimate goal would be elimination of the solid waste stream, with unwanted equipment being fed back into creating new equipment.
End-users
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the commercial and residential end users to handle their discards properly, and to purchase more environmentally friendly products. Both high volume and single unit users are part of the solution for the electronic solid waste process. This category includes almost everyone.
Second-tier users
Businesses and individuals have been donating their used computers to schools for many years. This practice, due to a lack of alternatives, has created a stockpile of electronic equipment at many of our local schools and universities and has put a large disposal burden on these donation recipients.
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Western Electronic Product Stewardship Initiative (WEPSI)
Contact WEPSI
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