Looking to Europe for guidance
Perhaps the best road map for US recycling legislation can be found in Europe. A key stimulus there comes from the European Union, which through its parliamentary arm is working to pull various existing and proposed national programs into a united front through legislation known as the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive, which encompasses not just computers and related devices, but also video games, digital cameras, refrigerators, washing machines, toasters and hair dryers.
The European Parliament this month will have a key vote on legislation that would require electronics manufacturers to phase out elements such as lead and mercury and to take back used products.
"As the (legislation) moves in Europe, that's going to move the debate for the rest of the world," said Dell's Minter.
The WEEE Directive sets a target date of December 2005 to begin annual collection of, on average, at least 9 pounds per inhabitant from private households. A related directive sets January 2008 as the date by which manufacturers must find replacements for lead, mercury and cadmium, as well as for chemicals such as flame retardants that show up in circuit boards and plastic covers.
The EU adheres to what it calls the "polluter pays" principle, according to which electronics makers must be held accountable for treatment, recovery and disposal of their products when they become waste and that private households should be able to return the products free of charge.
This doctrine "means extending the legal, moral and financial responsibility of producers," said Ted Smith, executive director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, an advocacy group focused on the high-tech sector. It is a government's way of telling manufacturers, "your responsibility goes beyond the initial sale and through the life cycle, including disposal," he added.
