Friday, October 31, 2008

How I See It

An ‘e-cycling’ program can help your company and planet

Electronic waste regulations have been increasing over the years, albeit not keeping pace with the increasing demand for — and ultimate disposal of — electronic devices. For example, it took Massachusetts until 2000 to ban the disposal of cathode ray tubes (CRTs), a relatively long-standing technology and one of the most toxic components of computer monitors and non-LCD televisions, in landfills. E-waste is a challenge that is only going to grow.

While various reports estimate that electronic waste is less than 4 percent of the total solid waste stream in the United States, electronic waste is growing two to three times faster than any other waste stream. In 1998, of the 20 million computers taken out of service, only 2.3 million, were recycled or “e-cycled.” And most of those were from large businesses and institutions. Between 2000 and 2007, as many as 500 million personal computers were expected to become obsolete and enter the municipal solid waste stream, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Although the regulatory wheels turn slowly, they are rolling: in recent years, states across the country have been taking the legislative measures to protect the environment.

Both Massachusetts and Maine have passed laws regulating e-waste management. In 2003, more than 330 New England municipalities had e-cycling programs — approximately 90 percent of these were located in Massachusetts.

Just as businesses at the start of this century were well-served by putting their financial houses in order prior to the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, today’s businesses would be best served by putting in place a viable e-waste disposal/recycling strategy in the near-term, before the inevitable additional legislation takes hold and fines begin piling up. Not only is proper recycling of e-waste the environmentally sound thing to do, it is an advisable short-term and long-term business strategy.

As with any industry, not all e-cycling services are created equal. There are a few questions companies need to make certain to ask when choosing a vendor:

• Is the recycler licensed to handle hazardous waste? What procedural and environmental certifications do they possess?

• What is the final disposition of those materials and how is it tracked? How and where are assets actually recycled and is that process auditable?

If these can not be answered, then ask yourself where exactly do the hazardous and toxic materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and beryllium (found in many computers, peripherals and electronic devices) end up? What is my company putting out into the world that not only may poison a community, but may come back to haunt me financially via EPA or other fines?

Your company should demand the following: A thorough separation of product components, since both hazardous and non-hazardous materials must be processed individually. Waste streams should be managed with an eye toward maximizing recycled material while minimizing non-reuseable waste. While there is a cost associated with doing so, each component in your PC can and should be recycled. This approach benefits businesses from a monetary, environmental and liability perspective.

The day that the federal government, manufacturers, IT-heavy businesses and consumers all become spokes in the wheel of e-cycling is the day we’ll all have safer air to breathe and water to drink. Doing the right thing — both for the environment and for your business — in your e-cycling strategy isn’t hard to do, if you have knowledge on your side.

 

William Rockett is vice president of M&K Recovery Group, a North Andover-based recycling firm.