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"EPR2 Baseline Report: Recycling of Selected Electronic Products in the United States"; ordering information; "Documents the results of the first large-scale survey and analysis of end-of-life electronic product recycling and reuse in the United States. The research, conducted by Stanford Resources, Inc., of San Jose, California, used data from 123 firms, including recyclers, third-party organizations that accept equipment for refurbishment and subsequent resale or donation, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and large corporate users of electronic equipment."

Waste & Recycling News, 6/10/09 edition. "LGE MobileComm USA, a unit of LG Electronics Inc., is teaming up with San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit to provide mobile phone recycling. LG began outfitting six BART stations in San Francisco with cell phone collection receptacles to encourage commuters to recycle their phones, chargers and accessories. The sites will accept any manufacturer's devices through July 6. Only 10% of the mobile phones sold in the United States are recycled, according to the company."

E-waste comprises discarded electronic appliances, of which computers and mobile telephones are disproportionately abundant because of their short lifespan. The current global production of E-waste is estimated to be 20-25 million tonnes per year, with most E-waste being produced in Europe, the United States and Australasia. China, Eastern Europe and Latin America will become major E-waste producers in the next ten years. Miniaturisation and the development of more efficient cloud computing networks, where computing services are delivered over the internet from remote locations, may offset the increase in E-waste production from global economic growth and the development of pervasive new technologies.

Today, more than 40 percent of all homes in the United States contain at least one video game console. Recognizing that all that gaming could add up to serious demand for electricity, NRDC and Ecos Consulting performed the first ever comprehensive study on the energy use of video game consoles and found that they consumed an estimated 16 billion kilowatt-hours per year -- roughly equal to the annual electricity use of the city of San Diego. Through the incorporation of more user-friendly power management features, we could save approximately 11 billion kWh of electricity per year, cut our nation's electricity bill by more than $1 billion per year, and avoid emissions of more than 7 million tons of CO2 each year. In this November 2008 issue paper, NRDC provides recommendations for users, video game console manufacturers, component suppliers and the software companies that design games for improving the efficiency of video game consoles already in homes as well as future generations of machines yet to hit the shelves.

Answering questions about both e-waste disposal and recycling involves a host of challenges. For example, little information is available to allow a complete assessment of how e-waste ultimately managed. General estimates have been made about the management of cathode ray tubes (CRTs, the only devices where disposal is federally regulated), but little reliable information is available regarding other categories of e-waste. Further, little information is available regarding the total amount of functioning electronics exported to developing countries for legitimate reuse. What is known is that e-waste recycling involves complex processes and it is more costly to recycle e-waste in the United States, where there is a limited recycling infrastructure. It also is known that most consumer electronics manufacturers (who provide the market for material recovery from recycled electronics) have moved overseas.

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is an international organization created by Canada, Mexico and the United States under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC). The CEC was established to address regional environmental concerns, help prevent potential trade and environmental conflicts, and to promote the effective enforcement of environmental law. The Agreement complements the environmental provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This section of the CEC site provides information on environmental laws in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Industry groups filed a lawsuit on Friday to block New York City's new electronics recycling law from taking effect next Friday. The law, passed in March 2008 by the City Council and finalized in regulations that the Department of Sanitation issued in April, requires manufacturers to take back their electronics, and provide pick-up service for items weighing 15 pounds or more. Starting in 2010, consumers will face a $100 fine for throwing old computers, televisions and other gadgets into the trash. Manufacturers who fail to recycle merchandise returned to them could be fined for each violation. The lawsuit, which was jointly filed by the Consumer Electronics Association and the Information Technology Industry Council in United States District Court in Manhattan, challenges numerous aspects of the law and regulations. The suit argues, among other things, that the law would improperly affect products made before the law took effect, that the pick-up requirement would be overly burdensome, and that the law would force companies to collect products that they may not have made. The suit also raises constitutional issues, asserting that the City Council's action amounts to an illegal effort to regulate interstate commerce.

GLRPPR is a professional organization dedicated to promoting information exchange and networking to pollution prevention (P2) professionals in the Great Lakes regions of the United States and Canada.

"Most of these images and graphics are available for use in the public domain, and they may be used and reproduced without permission or fee. However, some images may be protected by license. We strongly recommend you thoroughly read the disclaimers on each site before use. For information about obtaining seals of Federal Agencies and the United States, please see the Government Printing Office website." Searchable database of images used on government web sites.

Article from The Times of India, 6/30/09. Features comments from state environment secretary and chairperson of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) Valsa R Nair Singh on draft environmental policy. Some quotes related to e-waste (see annotations).

Approach Two relies primarily on government statistics on sales of electronic products. It then uses the same lifespan data (with some modifications) as Approach One to estimate EOL quantities. From these EOL estimates, we subtract the quantity of selected electronics disposed to yield the quantity recycled. This approach also provides information on the composition of electronic products, as well as the number of select electronic devices entering storage/reuse annually.

This analysis relies primarily on market research data on sales of electronic products. It then applies these sales data to some of the most comprehensive collection information available to estimate product lifespans and the amounts of particular products that are ready for EOL management. From these EOL estimates, we subtract the estimated quantity recycled to yield the quantity disposed. This approach also provides information on the export of CRT monitors and TVs, as well as the amount of selected electronics cumulatively in storage.

Environmental groups and some electronics recyclers are opposed to a federal electronic scrap bill that would allow recyclers to export units to developing countries for repair or refurbishing. Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, introduced House Resolution 2595 in U.S. House of Representatives. The measure is aimed at prohibiting exports of certain types of electronic scrap. But it does not go far enough, according to the Electronics TakeBack Coalition and the Basel Action Network. Waste & Recycling News, 6/2/09.

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.

UK: The Environment Agency is to lead a new international crime group as part of Interpol to help tackle illegal dumping of electrical waste on developing countries. The Interpol Global Crime Group is a worldwide intelligence-led operation which includes environmental crime investigators in the United States and Europe such as the US Environmental Protection Agency. The group will investigate links between organised criminal networks and the "waste tourists" travelling to countries like Britain to arrange the export of waste to developing countries.

(CNN) -- The champions at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver can stand on the podium proud of their achievements, but the eco-minded among them can be extra proud that their medals are made with traces of precious metals recovered from e-waste. According to a new report, however, a more universal solution to a growing problem needs to be found.