THE GALLON ENVIRONMENT LETTER
Canadian Institute for Business and
the Environment
Ph. (514) 369-0230, Fax (514) 369-3282
Email cibe@web.net
Vol. 6, No. 31, December 19, 2002
THE EMERGENCE OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY (IT) WASTE
Twenty years ago it didn't exist - large volumes of Information Technology (IT)
wastes. Hazardous wastes from computers, cellular phone, television and other
electronic technologies have been generated since the mid-1980's. And the
companies that make the new technologies like ITT, IBM, Dell, Sony, Samsung,
and MAC, are generating the products that end up in landfills, poisoning our
land and water. Lately, governments and international agencies have had
to act. They are beginning to put into place laws and standards controlling the
disposal and recycling of IT wastes. This issue takes a look at the new IT
waste management issue. information technology equipment; household appliances
(e.g., T.V.'s, microwave ovens,etc.); lighting fixtures (halogenated and
mercury vapour, etc.); medical equipment; and, monitoring and control
equipment; and hightech toys that have electronics in them such as Nintendo and
Play Station. See the website http://www.npr.org/programs/watc/features/2002/apr/computers/
.
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I T WASTE: 315 MILLION COMPUTERS
TO BE JUNKED BY 2004
Computer junk is growing at an escalating rate in the USA and Canada and
consumers do not know what to do with it. It has been estimated that over
three-quarters of all computers ever bought in North America are currently
stored in people's attics, basements, office closets and pantries. If everyone
disposed of these the US and Canada would face a huge waste problem all at
once. A recent US study found that over 315 million computers will become
obsolete by the year 2004 - and this is an underestimate. Currently over 50% of
Canadian households own a computer. Computer junking is also happening at a
faster rate. The lifespan of computers is decreasing. In 1997, the average
lifespan of a computer tower was 4-6 years and computer monitors 6-7 years.
This will soon fall to 2 years before 2005. By the year 2005, one computer will
become obsolete for every new one put on the market. By the end of 1999,
another 24 million computers in the United States became "obsolete".
Only about 14 % (or 3.3 million) of these will be recycled or donated. The rest
- more than 20 million computers in the U.S. -- will be dumped, incinerated,
shipped as waste exports or put into temporary storage in attics, basements,
etc. In general, computer equipment is a complicated assembly of more than
1,000 materials, many of which are highly toxic, such as chlorinated and
brominated substances, toxic gases, toxic metals, biologically active
materials, acids, plastics and plastic additives. Visit the website http://www.npr.org/programs/watc/features/2002/apr/computers/
.
In particular, the multi-pin connectors used to physically link computer and
telecommunication modules contain significant levels of gold, palladium and
other noble (and toxic) metals. These inert metals were alloyed with
copper in order to increase resistance to corrosion at the contacts, or coated
directly onto the pins. In older mainframe computers and switching gear
significant quantities of high quality copper cable and power supply components
are also present. Modern personal computers (PC's) require less robust
connections, and consequently the connectors are smaller and contain less noble
metal. Nevertheless a substantial fraction of annual gold production (around
5%) is used in the electronics industry, primarily in electrical connectors.
Source, http://www.ea.gov.au/industry/hwa/pubs/scrap.pdf
.
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COMPUTER RECYCLING NEEDS
EXPANSION: THE MONITOR ALONE HAS 1.5 LBS. OF LEAD
More computers are being made each year, but less are being recycled. It costs
the consumer less than $30 Canadian to recycle a monitor and computer, but many
people are reluctant to do so after they have already paid thousands of dollars
to purchase a computer system. As a result, many studies show that about 80% of
used computers end up in landfills. This is also problematic because computers
contain hazardous waste that can find its way into our drinking water. It
also takes a lot of natural resources to manufacture a new computer.
One-and-a-half gallons of crude oil are required to make the plastics used in
just one personal home or office computer system. A typical processor and monitor
contain five to eight pounds of lead and heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury
and arsenic. The average 15-inch computer monitor contains over 1.5 lbs. of
lead. Disposing of a hazardous waste in landfill that is not permitted for such
wastes could pose a threat to drinking water and result in other environmental
hazards in the future. For more information contact the Silicon Valley Toxics
Coalition, 760 N. First St., San Jose, California 95112, ph. 408.287.6707, Fax
408.287.6771, Email svtc@svtc.org . Visit
their website at http://www.svtc.org .
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MATERIALS COMPOSITION OF TYPICAL
COMPUTER
A typical 60 lb. desktop computer contains the following materials that can
become waste:
Content
% of weight Weight
(lbs.) Current
recyclability
Plastics
22.99
13.8 20% includes
organics, oxides other than silica
Lead
6.29
3.8 5%
metal joining, radiation shield
Aluminum
14.17
8.5 80% structural,
conductivity/housing
Iron
20.47
12.3 80%
structural, magnetivity/(steel) housing
Tin
1.01
0.6 70% metal
joining
Copper
6.92
4.2 90%
Conductivity/ connectors
Nickel
0.85
0.5 80%
structural, magnetivity/(steel) housing
Zinc
2.20
1.3 60%
battery, phosphor emitter
Cobalt
0.01
<0.1
85% structural, magnetivity/(steel) housing
Manganese
0.03
< 0.1
0% structural, magnetivity/(steel) housing,
Cadmium
0.0094
0.1
0% battery, glu-green phosphor emitter/housing,
Selenium
0.0016
0.00096 70% rectifiers/
Mercury
0.0022 <
0.1
0% batteries, switches/housing,
Arsenic
0.0013 <
0.1
0% doping agents in transistors/
Note: plastics contain polybrominated flame retardants, and hundreds of
additives and stabilizers not listed separately. Table presented in:
Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC). 1996. Electronics
Industry Environmental Roadmap. Austin, TX: MCC. For more information see
the website http://www.chameleoncomputers.co.uk/recycling.htm
.
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WASTE COMPONENTS IN COMPUTERS
The list of e-toxic components in computers include: computer circuit boards
containing heavy metals like lead & cadmium; computer batteries containing
cadmium; cathode ray tubes with lead oxide & barium; brominated
flame-retardants used on printed circuit boards, cables and plastic
casing; Poly Vinyl Chloride(PVC) coated copper cables and plastic
computer casings that release highly toxic dioxins & furans when burnt to
recover valuable metals; mercury switches; mercury in flat screens; and, Poly
Chlorinated Biphenyl's (PCB's) present in older capacitors & transformers.
It is estimated that there is over one billion pounds of lead contained in
obsolete computers in the U.S. The effects of lead on human health have been
well known. It was first banned from gasoline in the 1970s. Known health
effects include damage to the central nervous system, slowed mental development
in children, anemia, kidney and reproductive system damage. Many concerns now
exist regarding the use of lead in circuit boards and cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
In 2000, CRTs were banned from municipal landfills in California and
Massachusetts because of their recognized hazardous nature. Mercury, which is
used in flat panel displays, poses another serious hazard. Mercury can cause
damage to various organs including the brain and kidneys as well as the fetus.
Most importantly, the developing fetus is highly susceptible through maternal
exposure to mercury. Forty-one states now have health advisories warning
consumers (and, in particular, pregnant women and women of childbearing age) to
limit or not eat freshwater fish due to high mercury levels. Brominated flame
retardants (BFRs) are used in the plastic housings of electronic equipment and
in circuit boards to prevent fires from spreading. There are four main types of
BFRs: polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), tetrabromobisphenol - A (TBBPA),
hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), which
make up a family of chemicals that have 209 members (3 of which have just been
targeted for phase out by the European Parliament between the years of 2003 and
2006). Over 50% of BFR usage in the electronics industry consist of TBBPA;
another 10% is PBDE and less than 1% is PBB. Health concerns are growing
regarding the use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in computers and other
electronic equipment. BFRs constitute roughly 25% of all flame retardants
produced globally. BFRs are potential endocrine disruptors, persistent in the
environment and store in the fat of animals and humans. An endocrine disruptor
is defined as a chemical that causes a hormone imbalance by out-competing or
mimicking the body's natural hormones. Visit the website http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/sayno.htm
.
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DIOXINS AND FURANS CAN BE CREATED
IT WASTES
Due to the halogenated substances found in the plastics of information
technology hardware such as computers and cell phones, both dioxins and furans
are generated as a consequence of recycling the metal content of Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Halogenated substances contained in
WEEE, in particular brominated flame-retardants, are also of concern during the
extrusion of plastics, which is part of plastic recycling. Due to the risk of
generating dioxins and furans, recyclers usually abstain from recycling
flame-retarded plastics from WEEE. However, due to the lack of proper
identification of plastic containing flame retardants, most recyclers do not
process any plastic from WEEE. Of the small amount recycled, more than
three-quarters come from large-scale users of the equipment. Individual users
and small businesses contribute only a small fraction of the equipment that is
recycled because no collection, or recycling program is in place. Table 1: Some
of the materials found in a ton of electronic computer boards:
Material
Lbs/ton
Material
Lbs/ton
Plastics
600
Gold
1
Copper
286
Cadmium
00.79
Iron
90
Lead
54
Cobalt
00.17
Tin
44
Platinum
00.07
Nickel
40
Zinc
9
Mercury 00.02
Silver
1
Source: Technical University of Denmark
Visit the website http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/technotrash.htm
.
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THE CORPORATE RESPONSE TO IT WASTE
MANAGEMENT
Individual companies have implemented voluntary take-back programs in European
countries and a few US states, arguing that no legislation is needed. In
addition, the Electronics Industries Alliance is participating with governments
and NGOS in the National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI).
NEPSI aims to establish a take-back and recycling infrastructure for the US.
Rather than mandatory take-back and toxic phase-outs, the US industry has
proposed "shared responsibility" with municipal waste handling
systems, or fees levied on consumers to fund take-back programs. Even where
such programs formally exist, however, it is unclear how well they are being
implemented, outside of European and US markets. Field studies revealed, for
example, that the Indiana sales office of a well-known US computer maker had no
knowledge of the company's much-touted take-back programs. On the other hand,
the existence of a vast "gray market" for used computer components in
India may alleviate pressure on companies to resolve the disposal problem. See
the website http://www.deltasys.com/articles/ewaste.pdf
. Also see http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/opinions/columnists/tew/e0724tewbits.htm
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COMPUTER RECYCLING IN CANADA
According to a report prepared by the Canadian Environment Industry
Association (CEIA) and Contemporary Information Analysis for Environment
Canada, between 1992 and 2000 Canadians disposed of enough personal computers
and monitors to fill approximately 1,000 Olympic size swimming pools, but only
about 10 per cent was recycled or refurbished for reuse. In 1999, the estimated
quantity for disposal of this equipment in Canada was about 37,000 tonnes. The
amount of computers generated and disposed is expected to almost double over
five years, to an estimated 72,000 tonnes in 2005. Connie Vitello, writes
in an article entitled, "Computer Crash," in Solid Waste &
Recycling Magazine, that an estimated five per cent of a computer's original
sale value can be regained through the sale of secondary materials -- which
means computer recycling can be more profitable than automobile recycling.
Also, due to the decreased cost of extraction, the precious metals in computers
are approximately three times more valuable than metal ore. "The potential
is very large -- this is a big business opportunity," says Colin Isaacs,
co-author of the report and chairman of the Canadian Environment Industry
Association. Source, "Computer Crash," by Connie Vitello, Solid
Waste & Recycling Magazine, Toronto, October/November 2002; email CVitello@businessinformationgroup.ca
. See the full story at http://www.solidwastemag.com/issues/ISarticle.asp?id=74153
.
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WILL AN INDUSTRY VOLUNTARY
PROGRAM WORK IN CANADA TO REDUCE IT WASTE?
The report, conducted by EnvirosRIS for the Information Technology
Association of Canada (ITAC), "The Industry Roadmap -- Overview of a
National Action Plan for Management of End of Life IT and Telecom Equipment in
Canada," was released in March 2002. Estimates indicate that by 2007 a
voluntary industry recycling program run by ITAC could divert 2,565,277 units
of IT equipment (just under 50 per cent of total units available in Canada)
representing 21,939 tonnes of waste. But critics of this proposed program say
that it's an attempt to get municipalities to cover costs that should instead
be covered by EPR mechanisms. Together with its partner organizations, ITAC
represents 1,300 companies in the computing and telecommunications hardware,
software, services, and electronic content sectors. This network of companies
accounts for more than 70 per cent of the 542,000 jobs, $132.6-billion in
revenue, $5.3-billion in R&D expenditure and $44-billion in exports. ITAC's
proposed program will cost about $14-million, plus $800,000 for start-up. The
program would use a "shared responsibility" model, with
municipalities and consumers taking operational and financial responsibility
for collection of IT and telecom equipment. The scheme would involve municipalities
bringing the equipment to consolidation centres; industry would pay for the
cost of transportation from consolidation centres and processing. The program,
to be rolled out over a five-year period, would be financed through a front-end
fee applied to IT equipment sold through retail outlets. According to David
Betts, vice president of programs at ITAC, the front-end fee would be somewhere
in the neighbourhood of $25 for a typical computer. Source, "Computer
Crash," by Connie Vitello, Solid Waste & Recycling Magazine, Toronto,
October/November 2002. See the full story at http://www.solidwastemag.com/issues/ISarticle.asp?id=74153
. See the full report at http://www.ec.gc.ca/nopp/docs/rpt/itwaste/en/index.cfm
.
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US EPA ACTION ON INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY WASTES
On May 30, 2002 , the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed
changing its existing waste regulations for computers, televisions and mercury
containing equipment to discourage the flow of these materials to municipal
landfills and incinerators. "By streamlining our waste regulations, we
encourage more reuse and recycling, and cut costs and reduce paperwork,"
said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. "At the same time we continue to
protect public health and the environment by providing better methods for
reusing, recycling and managing materials containing hazardous substances such
as lead and mercury." Color computer monitors and televisions contain
cathode ray tubes (CRTs), most of which contain lead to protect users from
x-rays generated while the tube is in operation. Under the EPA proposal, if
CRTs are being considered for possible reuse, the EPA would reclassify them as
products rather than waste, and therefore not regulated under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The EPA is also proposing to lift the
waste designation from glass removed from CRTs, as long as the glass is sent
for recycling and managed in accordance with simplified storage, labelling and
transportation requirements specified in the proposal. The EPA proposal will
also streamline regulations for mercury containing equipment. Under the
proposal, mercury containing equipment would be treated as a universal waste,
rather than being subject to the full hazardous waste regulations under RCRA.
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INDIA, CHINA AND PAKISTAN USED AS
RECYCLING/DUMPING GROUND FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WASTES
It appears that millions of obsolete computers, mainframes, and T.V.'s are
being sent to so-called recyclers in India, Pakistan and China to extract
valuable metals. However, the operations are ruining the local environment and
drinking water and ruining the health of the workers and their families. An
investigation conducted by a coalition of environmental groups including the
international Basel Action Network (BAN) and the California community group
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC), with support from Toxics Link India,
Greenpeace China and SCOPE (Pakistan) - documented numerous areas in China,
India and Pakistan where IT waste exported from OECD countries were ending up
in the developing countries'environment. The groups produced a report entitled,
"Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia." Their investigation
uncovered an entire area known as Guiyu in Quangdong Province, surrounding the
Lianjiang River just four hours drive northeast of Hong Kong where about
100,000 poor migrant workers are employed in breaking apart and processing obsolete
computers imported primarily from North America. The workers were found to be
using 19th century technologies to clean up the wastes from the 21st century.
The operations involve men, women and children toiling under primitive
conditions, often unaware of the health and environmental hazards involved in
operations which include open burning of plastics and wires, riverbank acid
works to extract gold, melting and burning of toxic soldered circuit boards and
the cracking and dumping of toxic lead laden cathode ray tubes.
The investigative team saw tons of electronic wastes being dumped along rivers,
in open fields and irrigation canals in the rice growing area. In the region's
villages, poor farmers melt down wiring and circuit boards over open fires or
by dousing them with acid to extract precious metals like gold and platinum.
Toxic chemicals are also released by stripping apart printers and lead-laden
computer screens. The processing releases carcinogenic fumes and pollutes
rivers and ground water with heavy metals. Residents have complained of
respiratory problems and cancer. The pollution in Guiyu has become so
devastating that well water is no longer drinkable and water must be trucked in
from 30 kilometers away for the entire population. Source, http://www.monitor.net/monitor/0204a/hightechtrash.html
. See the full report at http://www.ban.org/E-waste/technotrashfinalcomp.pdf.
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CHINA HAS BANNED THE IMPORTS OF
SOME INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HAZARDOUS WASTES
Since April of 2000, the Chinese government has banned the import of certain
electronic wastes including cathode ray tubes, copiers, telephones and
computers. This ban was made public in SEPA Document No. 19/2000 of January 24,
2000 in a document entitled Notification on Import of the Seventh Category of
Wastes. On August 15, 2002, the government extended the list to more explicitly
include such electronic wastes as printed circuit boards, keyboards and mice
(data entry devices), printers, fax machines etc. Source, http://cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/environ/hitech_trash/basel.html
.
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COMPUTER WASTE A THREAT TO CHINA'S
ENVIRONMENT, SAYS MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT
Potentially toxic computer waste from the United States is threatening the
environmental health of China and other Asian countries, said Wang Jirong, the
Deputy Director of China's Environmental Protection Administration. He
urged the United States and Canada to join other developed countries that have
already banned such exports. Wang Jirong said that, "The export of
computer waste is bringing great harm to the people of the Asian region,"
at a news conference called to present China's annual environmental report in
May 2002. Wang said dealers evade China's ban on importing computer waste
through smuggling or by falsifying invoices. Inspectors were being ordered to
crack down on such illegal imports, she said. China is itself a growing
producer of what is known as e-waste, and Wang said her administration is
drafting rules for the safe disposal of computer castoffs. Wang said the IT
waste "recycling goes on in another Guangdong town, Nanhai, and in Taizhou
further north along the coast in Zhejiang province. Source, "Computer
Waste a Threat to China's Environment,", by Christopher Bodeen, Associated
Press. Beijing, China, May 31, 2002. See the full story at http://www.ban.org/ban_news/computer_waste.html
.
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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ORGANIZE
COMPUTER TAKE BACK PROGRAM
Not satisfied that industry is doing enough to control the hazardous wastes
that their products become, environmental groups have created the Computer
TakeBack Campaign. It is a national network of toxics and waste reduction
activists, recycling professionals, local officials, students and design
professionals promoting producer responsibility for discarded computers and
consumer electronics. "The EPA's proposed IT hazardous management plan
intends to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses but will very likely
increase the burden and costs borne by local governments," said David
Wood, program director of the GrassRoots Recycling Network (GRRN) and
organizing director of the Computer TakeBack Campaign. "The infrastructure
necessary to safely and efficiently refurbish or recycle computer monitors,
televisions and other consumer electronics does not yet exist." "In the
absence of a sufficient infrastructure, local governments may become
repositories for discarded products," continues Wood. "We must keep
these materials out of landfills and incinerators, but we must also shift the
costs and burden off of local governments and on to producers." It is
important to note that if those in the United States should decide to dispose
of computers and monitors, they could be considered a generator of hazardous
waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA requires generators
of solid wastes containing toxic constituents (such as lead and barium) to
determine whether or not the waste is hazardous by using generator knowledge or
by testing representative samples of that waste. If they do not test used
computers and monitors and prove them non-hazardous, they must assume they are
hazardous waste and dispose of them at a permitted hazardous waste facility or
recycle them.
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OHIO GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING IT
WASTES
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has established a "Guide to
Computer & Electronics Waste Reduction and Recycling". The guidelines
remind users that, "it is important to note that if you should decide to
dispose of computers and monitors, you could be considered a generator of
hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA
requires generators of solid wastes containing toxic constituents (such as lead
and barium) to determine whether or not the waste is hazardous by using
generator knowledge or by testing representative samples of that waste."
Adding that, "if you do not test used computers and monitors and prove
them non- hazardous, you must assume they are hazardous waste and dispose of
them at a permitted hazardous waste facility or recycle them." Under
Ohio's guideline, computer CRTs are not regulated as hazardous wastes if the
generator has them recycled. Ohio considers discarded integrated circuits from
computer systems to be scrap metal. Scrap metal is not regulated as hazardous
waste if it is reclaimed or recycled. For more information on Ohio's hazardous
waste regulations, please contact the Division of Hazardous Waste Management at
(614) 644-2917. For more information contact the Office of Pollution Prevention,
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049,
Phone (614) 644-3469, Fax (614) 644-2807, E-mail: p2mail@epa.state.oh.us . See the Ohio
Environment website at http://www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/recyc/comp-rc.html
.
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AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT'S GUIDANCE
PAPER ON ELECTRONIC WASTES
The Ministry of the Environment for Australia prepared in 1999 a Guidance Paper
entitled, "Hazard Status of Waste Electrical and Electronic Assemblies or
Scrap." Environment Australia is responsible for the implementation and
administration of the Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act
1989 (Act'). The Act implements Australia's obligations under the Basel
Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and
their Disposal (Basel Convention'). The paper was prepared by Environment
Australia on the basis of advice from the Hazardous Waste Technical Group,
which has been established under the Act to provide advice to Environment
Australia on the operation of the Hazardous Waste Act and related issues
arising from Australia's implementation of the Basel Convention. See the full
report at http://www.ea.gov.au/industry/hwa/pubs/scrap.pdf
.
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CANADA IMPORTED 560,000 TONNES OF
HAZ WASTE IN 2000 - MAINLY FROM THE U.S.
In 2000, Canada exported 324,000 tonnes of hazardous waste, primarily destined
for northeastern and central parts of the United States. In the same year,
Canada imported 560,000 tonnes, 97 per cent of which originated from the United
States. Approximately 59 per cent of imports and 73 per cent of exports were
destined for recycling. Source, http://www.ec.gc.ca/tmb/eng/facts/canusa_e.html
. Also see, http://cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/environ/hitech_trash/basel.html
.
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CANADA NOT OPPOSED TO EXPORTING
HAZARDOUS WASTE TO NON-OECD COUNTRIES
Although Canada has ratified the Basel Convention, it has not gone along with a
later 1994 ban on exports from OECD to non-OECD countries. So Canada could
export hazardous wastes and information technology wastes to developing
countries that have little in the way of public health and environmental
controls enforcement. Source, http://cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/environ/hitech_trash/basel.html
. Also see Environment Canada's website on the Basel Convention http://www.ec.gc.ca/tmb/eng/tmbbasel_e.html
.
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CATHODE RAY TUBES AND
MERCURY-CONTAINING ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT BE CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS WASTE - US EPA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on June 12, 2002, proposed that
cathode ray tubes (CRT's) and mercury-containing electric equipment be
considered hazardous waste and be managed in a special way. Many used cathode
ray tubes (CRTs) and items of mercury-containing equipment are currently
classified as characteristic hazardous wastes under RCRA. They are therefore
subject to the hazardous waste regulations of RCRA Subtitle C unless they come
from a household or a conditionally exempt small quantity generator. The EPA
proposes and seeks comment on an exclusion from the definition of solid waste
which would streamline RCRA management requirements for used CRTs and glass
removed from CRTs sent for recycling. EPA is also clarifying the status of used
CRTs sent for reuse and proposes and seeks comment on streamlining management
requirements for used mercury-containing equipment by adding it to the federal
list of universal wastes. See the full EPA proposal at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/electron/crt.htm
.
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EUROPEAN UNION HAS PROPOSED NEW IT
WASTE HANDLING GUIDELINES: WEEE
The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Directive on Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and a proposal for a Directive (COM
(2000)347) on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in
electrical and electronic equipment. The proposed Directives are designed to
tackle the fast increasing waste stream of electrical and electronic equipment
and complements European Union measures on landfill and incineration of waste.
Increased recycling of electrical and electronic equipment, in accordance with
the requirements of the proposal for a WEEE Directive, will limit the total
quantity of waste going to final disposal. Producers will be responsible for
taking back and recycling electrical and electronic equipment. WEEE will apply
to information technology equipment; household appliances; lighting fixtures;
medical equipment; and, monitoring and control equipment. It can also apply to
hightech toys that have electronics in them such as Nintendo and Play Station.
This will provide incentives to design electrical and electronic equipment in
an environmentally more efficient way, which takes waste management aspects fully
into account. Consumers will be able to return their equipment free of charge.
In order to prevent the generation of hazardous waste, the proposal for a
Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances
requires the substitution of various heavy metals and brominated flame
retardants in new electrical and electronic equipment from 1 January 2008
onwards. See http://164.36.253.20/sustainability/weee/index.htm
.
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BASEL CONVENTION DECEMBER 2002
MEETING TACKLES INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) WASTES
Information technology (IT) wastes from products such as cell phones,
computers, and televisions, are made with materials that can be toxic to humans
and the environment once disposed of as waste. The United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) hosted the latest meeting on the Basel Convention on the
Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal December 9
-13, 2002, on information (IT) wastes in Geneva, Switzerland. The agenda
featured the launch of a unique partnership with major mobile-phone
manufacturers, a ministerial roundtable on "e-wastes" and the release
of new data on global trends in waste generation and transport. The term "
E-waste" is applied to consumer electronic equipment that is no longer
wanted. E-waste can include computers, printers, televisions, VCR's, cell
phones, fax machines, stereos, and electronic games. The Sixth Meeting of the
Conference of the Parties (COP 6) to the Basel Convention considered a
strategic plan running through the year 2010 aimed at accelerating concrete
action to protect human health and the environment from hazardous wastes. The
Meeting adopted technical guidelines on the disposal and recycling of lead-acid
batteries, plastic wastes, biomedical and healthcare wastes, and obsolete
ships. "With some 150 million tonnes of hazardous wastes produced every
year, the industrial world needs to accelerate its investments in cleaner
production technologies and processes that can reduce wastes," said Klaus
Toepfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, under
whose auspices the Convention was negotiated and adopted in 1989. Top officials
representing nine leading mobile phone manufacturers from around the world will
announce their intention to form a partnership with the Basel Convention on the
environmentally sound management of end-of-life mobile phones. This first-ever
initiative on e-wastes exemplifies the vital contributions being made by
industry to the Convention. The mobile phones signing ceremony will be followed
by a ministerial roundtable on the emerging issue of "e-wastes". For
additional information contact Michael Williams, UNEP Information Officer, at
ph. +41-22-917-8242, or email michael.williams@unep.ch . Visit the
website http://www.basel.int .
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BASEL CONVENTION TO ADD FOUR MORE
WASTE STREAMS TO CONTROLS
In addition to the 12 sets of guidelines already in use, the Basel Convention
on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, December
session considered new guidelines on: * Plastic wastes. The draft guidelines
respond to concern that developing countries often lack the necessary
legislation and facilities for coping with the dramatic growth in these wastes.
In many of these countries, plastics are disposed of through open, uncontrolled
burning and landfilling. Open burning releases pollutants into the air that can
cause various health problems. * Dismantling of ships. Ships are built using a
wide range of materials, including asbestos and other dangerous products.
Decommissioning a large vessel can thus involve the removal of many tonnes of
hazardous wastes. The draft guidelines have been developed in cooperation with
the International Maritime Organization, the International Chamber of Shipping,
the International Labour Organization and non-governmental environmental
organizations. * Biomedical and healthcare wastes. Hospitals and other
healthcare centres can generate large quantities of wastes, including
infectious materials. Gloves, gowns, hypodermic needles, and scalpels are
exposed to blood and other bodily fluids. Chemicals, pharmaceuticals and
vaccines also enter the waste stream. The guidelines recommend measures for
segregating, collecting, labelling, handling, and sterilizing these wastes and
for dealing with spills and accidents. * Lead-acid batteries. Widely used in
industry, automobiles and other consumer goods, lead-acid batteries are the
number one source of secondary lead in the world today. In many
developing countries, retired batteries are still broken manually using an axe,
which is dangerous to the workers. Inhaling dust, fumes or vapours dispersed in
the workplace air can lead to acute lead poisoning. The more common problem,
however, is chronic poisoning from absorbing low amounts of lead over long
periods of time.
Other issues on the Basel Convention December agenda include a discussion of
efforts to combat illegal trade in hazardous wastes, a decision to establish a
mechanism for compliance and implementation, and the development of regional
centers as the main instruments of the Convention to assist in building
capacity in member governments. For additional information contact Michael
Williams, UNEP Information Officer, at ph. +41-22-917-8242, or
email michael.williams@unep.ch
. Visit the website http://www.basel.int .
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Copyright (c) 2002
Canadian Institute for Business and the
Environment, Montreal & Toronto
All rights reserved.
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