by Brianna Crandall — November 19, 2010—On November 15, America Recycles Day, President Obama signed a proclamation celebrating the strides the country has made in recycling generally, while also highlighting the need for greater attention to addressing electronic waste (e-waste).
The previous week, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the General Services Administration (GSA) formed a task force, under the Executive Order on Federal Sustainability, charged with helping the federal government lead by example in responsibly managing used electronics.
Electronic waste from old cell phones, computers and other devices often contains toxic chemicals and heavy metals, says EPA. Most of this waste is landfilled, which creates potential health and environmental hazards throughout the U.S., and a significant part of the rest is shipped to developing countries that lack the capacity to manage these wastes safely, threatening the health and environment of those communities.
Reusing and recycling e-waste reduces the risks from these hazards and also provides opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint and conserve valuable natural resources. For example, for every 1 million cell phones recycled, 75 pounds of gold, 772 pounds of silver, 33 pounds of palladium, and more than 35,000 pounds of copper can be recovered, claims EPA.
The interagency task force, co-chaired by EPA, GSA, and CEQ, will develop a national strategy for responsible electronics stewardship, including improvements to federal procedures for managing electronic products. This strategy will also include steps to ensure electronics containing hazardous materials collected for recycling and disposal are not exported to developing nations that lack the capacity to manage the recovery and disposal of these products in ways that safeguard human health and the environment.
