Producer Responsibility Essential to Successfully Recycling Electronics

According to the International Association of Electronics Recyclers, the residential recycling rate for items such as televisions and computers was only about 15% just two years ago. Now with state and local governments and non-profits like EcoCycle launching “e-waste” collection programs, that rate is rising to about 25% by some estimates. In order to reach 100% recovery of e-waste, however, it is essential that electronics manufacturers be responsible for managing their products-from design to recovery. By designing equipment to be upgraded rather than replaced, using standardized plastics to increase recyclability, using less toxic components, and by helping create and fund the infrastructure and systems for recovering their products, manufacturers can greatly improve the recycling and reuse-and minimize the waste-of electronic equipment. The responsibility for paying for the disposal or recycling of e-waste and for the cleanup of toxic byproducts from the manufacturing process should not simply lie with the public.

Some manufacturers in the industry are beginning to feel the pressure to participate in e-waste recovery programs. EcoCycle is working to further promote producer responsibility and hopes that the future of the new Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials will include participation from the electronics industry. Contact us at recycle@ecocycle.org or 303-444-6634 to find out how you can help!