Computer TakeBack Campaign to Release Annual Computer Report Card Thurs., January 9, Report Card Ranks Computer Companies According to Environmental Performance

National Grassroots Coalition to Push State Computer Recycling Legislation

A national coalition of environmental groups will release a report Friday documenting how the personal computer industry is turning its back on a massive toxic trash crisis, endangering US cities, passing hidden costs to local taxpayers, damaging the environment and threatening public health in the third world countries where much of US electronics recycling is handled.

The Computer TakeBack Campaign's Computer Report Card evaluates and ranks 28 computer manufacturers and brand owners on four broad measures of environmental performance:

• use of hazardous materials
• take-back programs for used and obsolete equipment
• worker health and safety
• ease of access to information.

Coordinated releases of the Computer Report Card will take place in nearly two-dozen metro areas around the country. The release of the Report Card will be linked to activities being staged at the 2003 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and to the launch of the Campaign's main web site, where the Report Card and other materials will be available January 9. The Computer TakeBack Campaign will brief reporters in Las Vegas on Friday, January 10.

"In Europe, computer companies, activists, and government are implementing a system based on producer take back of all discarded equipment. We want those same computer companies selling here in the U.S. to treat American consumers at least as well as they treat Europeans," says David Wood, Program Director of the Grassroots Recycling Network. "The double standard has got to go."

"Computers and consumer electronics contain heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, and mercury, as well as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), mixed plastics, dioxin-like flame retardants and dozens of other compounds with known or suspected adverse impacts on human health," says Ted Smith of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. "The fruits of our high tech revolution are pure poison if these products are improperly disposed of at the end of their useful life."

The Computer TakeBack Campaign is national coalition of organizations promoting clean production and producer take back in the computer and consumer electronics industries.

--30--