Spring 2000
Computers for the Millenium
By Michael Bender
The Clean Computer Campaign promotes extended producer responsibility for clean product design and product take-back by supporting 1) a significant reduction in hazardous substances use and waste disposal, and 2) internalization of costs that the electronics industry currently externalizes to society.
The goals of the Campaign are to:
Promote the design of non-toxic, renewable and resource efficient information technology (IT) products
Ensure clean production throughout all steps of the life cycle, including at the “end-of-life”
Promote the establishment of new infrastructure to support re-use and recycling
Phase out carcinogenic, mutagenic and reproductive toxins used in the manufacturing process
Require state of the art energy and water conservation
Close the materials loop so that raw materials are re-used by industry to the extent feasible and all end of life products are returned to the producer for maximum re-use and ultimate recycling in an environmentally safe and socially responsible manner
Promote the transfer of waste and materials management costs for used products onto producers consistent with the “Polluters Pay” Principle
Organize to counteract the efforts of the U.S. electronics industry and the U.S. government to oppose the draft European Commission Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
We believe the following benefits will occur when producers are responsible for product take-back:
market feedback will be given to the designer, rather than in the current system where health, environment and economic costs are externalized
the use of safer, less toxic materials, and more efficient design
more reuse of materials and components, more product leasing, and better design for disassembly and reuse
less waste management costs will be incurred by state and local governments by placing the primary financial responsibility on the producer
some producers will decide to design products that are easier to upgrade
How bad is the problem anyway?
Computer manufacturing today is driven by a global business model that is too often built on unsustainable short-term thinking, rapid obsolescence, little regard for worker health and safety and the environment, and dependence on unrealistic profit margins. Computer “junk” is growing at an alarming rate. A recent U.S. study estimates that over 315 million computers will become obsolete by the year 2004. This represents more than:
1 billion pounds of lead
4 billion pounds of plastic, and
hundreds of millions of pounds of other toxic materials
Recycling rates are dismal and current recycling practices suspect. Studies show:
that an effective infrastructure does not exist for recycling obsolete household computers;
consumer recycling rates are extremely low;
current “recycling” practices create hazardous waste exports; and
recycling workers are subjected to hazardous exposures.
Disposing or recycling of computers is hazardous. The environmental risks posed by landfilling, incinerating and recycling of computer discards is significant because of the many toxic materials involved, such as lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, plastics, (including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), brominated flame retardents, poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and many other hazardous substances.
Campaign Objectives
The challenge for the Clean Computer Campaign is to convince the electronics industry to embrace its environmental responsibilities comprehensively and to develop sustainable manufacturing processes that can meet the needs of the 21st century. The time to incorporate design for the environment, design for safety, designs for health, and manufacturer product take-back programs is when the manufacuturers develop their new products.
1) Industry resources must be directed toward health and environmental issues.
The producer has the ultimate choice over materials and product design and should be held responsible for making production choices and providing disposal options that can be achieved largely through existing technology and at the same or lower prices to consumers. CCC believes that the high tech industry should be responsible for:
Reducing the use of hazardous chemicals
Using renewable materials that are safer and less hazardous
Establishing specific emission reduction goals and a reduction in natural resources
Phasing-out carcinogenic, mutagenic and reproductive toxins used
Establishing comprhensive “Design for the Environment” approaches
2) The computer industry must take responsibility for taking back its products.
Only the large computer manufacturers can control the re-design of products, so a financial feed-back mechanism is crucial to hasten the phase out of hazardous materials in the design stage. Local governments clearly can not afford to manage e-waste properly and clearly have no control over product design.
3. The U.S. Government must stop opposing the European Directive on Waste from Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE).
The US Trade Representative has pushed the US government (at the request of the American Electronics Association and the Electronics Industry Alliance) to take a position opposing the WEEE Directive behind closed doors and without the benefit of public notice and the comment period required for proposed new regulations under US laws. At stake in this controversy are three vital environmental principles.
a. Producers must be ultimately responsible for their products.
b. Trade associations must not be allowed to dictate environmental health policy for the United State’s Government.
c. U.S. policy must represent all of us, not just the large corporations.
Michael Bender is a consultant to SVTC’s Clean Computer Campaign
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