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North Carolina, HB 838, delays effective date of previously passed electronics recycling law to 7/1/2010, signed by Governor 8/26

"Discarded electronic products and components - or e-waste, as they are collectively known - can represent either a major environmental dilemma or a massive potential economic windfall. If treated properly, much e-waste may be reclaimed or recycled for future use and converted into a significant new revenue stream. Improperly treated e-waste, on the other hand, poses a massive threat to the world's ecosystem and can result in contamination to the soil, air, and water, while also exposing workers, nearby residents, and wildlife to a multitude of health hazards. This study forecasts that the worldwide market for e-waste recovery will grow from $5.7 billion in 2009 to nearly $14.7 billion by the end of 2014, representing a CAGR of 20.8% over the forecast period. This figure represents money generated through reclamation of valuable materials from e-scrap."

How--and why--we should make sure our old cell phones, TVs and PCs get dismantled properly; Time magazine article by Bryan Walsh, 1/8/09. Includes a good series of photos of China's "e-waste village."

7/18/09 article from The Times [of London] on the problem of illegal e-waste trade and unsafe e-waste processing in Ghana. Article contains the following statistics: "Even in the European Union, which has some of the most stringent controls, an estimated 75 per cent of e-waste is unaccounted for. Most of this, an estimated 8.5 million tonnes a year, is believed to be finding its way to unofficial dumps in West Africa."

Computerworld - First-quarter global PC shipments fell 8.1% year-over-year, according to market researcher iSuppli Corp., dragged down by weaker-than-expected desktop PC shipments.

Greener Working article by Tom Guay, 6/8/09. "Is your company ready to help its customers cut their carbon footprint? Whether you want to or not right now, you may not have a choice once your competitors adopt green strategies, and it's this kind of competitive pressure that's driving cell phone maker Sony Ericsson to be green. This summer marks a big expansion of the company's GreenHeart initiative to make green telecommunications equipment that cuts energy usage by its customers and within its manufacturing facilities."

Waste & Recycling News, 5/28/09. Texas Gov. Rick Perry will have on his desk a bill requiring television manufacturers to provide Texas residents with free and convenient recycling for their old units. Proponents of the bill say it will help keep the 4 to 8 pounds of lead in cathode-ray tube televisions and the mercury in flat-screen TVs out of the environment. Televisions also contain brominated fire retardants and other hazardous chemicals.

Sony is introducing a new scrappage scheme which will hand out up to a maximum of £150 to those who purchase a new television set from the consumer electronics giant. The recycling scheme, which will involve handing back you old TV set, will start on the 21st of August; 26-inch Bravia purchases will attract a £50 cashback whereas purchasers of a 46-incher like the KDL-46WE5 will get the full £150 discount.