Sustainable Electronics Initiative Blog

The Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI), hosted by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), a unit of the Institute of Natural Resources Sustainability on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is a consortium dedicated to the development and implementation of a more sustainable system for designing, producing, remanufacturing, and recycling electronic devices. Members of the consortium include academia, non-profit organizations, government agencies, manufacturers, designers, refurbishers, and recyclers. Specific elements of the SEI include programs for research, education, data management, and technical assistance. SEI conducts collaborative research; facilitates networking and information exchange among participants; promotes technology diffusion via demonstration projects; and provides forums for the discussion of policy and legislation.

Americans own nearly three billion electronic products and continually purchase new ones to replace those deemed “obsolete,” even though about two-thirds of the devices are still in working order. To address this burgeoning e-waste problem, SEI will hold the Electronics & Sustainability: Design for Energy & the Environment symposium on February 23 – 24, 2010 at the I Hotel on the University of Illinois campus. Topics to be addressed will include environmental toxicology, life cycle analysis, product design, existing and proposed policy (local, state, national, and international), and more. Designers; electrical engineers; chemists; materials scientists; electronics manufacturers, recyclers, refurbishers, and remanufacturers; government representatives and policy makers; pollution prevention technical assistance providers; relevant non-profit organizations; and others are invited to take part in this symposium.

SEI invites industry and academic practitioners to submit abstracts of their recent research, projects, and design thinking for presentation, publications, or both. Proposals can be made for symposium participation in one or more of the following categories: a paper, presentation, panel discussion, or poster display.

For more information about the symposium and/or to access the call for papers, visit: www.sustainelectronics.illinois.edu or contact Wayne Duke, Conference Coordinator, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, One Hazelwood Drive, Champaign, Illinois 61820-7465, 217-333-5793, fax: 217-333-8944.

For more information about the Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI), contact Dr. Tim Lindsey, Associate Director, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, One Hazelwood Drive, Champaign, Illinois 61820-7465, 217-333-8955, fax: 217-333-8944.

• Electronics Firms Fight State Recycling Programs – WSJ.com

  Wall Street Journal article by Ryan Knutson, 7/2/09. Small electronics makers are struggling with — and fighting against — new state laws mandating they pay for electronic recycling programs for consumers. Five companies, including ViewSonic Corp., CTX Technology Inc. and ToteVision Inc., are threatening litigation against Washington state’s new electronic waste law, which requires manufacturers to fund recycling and collection services for old TVs, personal computers and monitors. The companies argue the law, which took effect this year, charges them too much and improperly includes out-of-state businesses. Meanwhile, the Consumer Electronics Association, a trade group representing 2,000 electronics companies, is negotiating with the New York City officials to change a city ordinance that would require electronics companies to pick up old gadgets door-to-door. The CEA says the ordinance, scheduled to take effect July 31, would cost the industry $200 million annually.

  tags: computers, legislation, e-waste, electronic waste, ETBC, ewaste, hazardous waste, icare, industry, manufacturing, p2, p2tagteam, policy, pollutionprevention, product stewardship, recycling, regulatory integration, takeback, technology, waste

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

E-Waste is more relevant an issue than ever in this country. The switch from analog to digital cable two weeks ago and Governor Rick Perry’s (Texas) veto of the extended producer responsibility bill (HB 821) one week ago made for a lot of recent discussion about what to do with those old television sets. Massachusetts, Georgia, Missouri, and Oklahoma, among others, reported on solutions to the problem of left-over TVs. Willie Cade of PC Rebuilders and Recyclers says in a report by NBC Chicago that Illinoisans should hold on to their old television sets until next year Jan. 1st, when the extended producer responsibility act for Illinois is enacted. Many are shocked and saddened that Texas won’t have that option due to Governor Perry’s veto. You can view the reasons for the veto according to the governor’s office at: http://governor.state.tx.us/news/veto/12608. The reason for the shock is that the extended produced responsibility is already very popular among many other states.  It can encourage manufacturers to design with the product’s end of life in mind so that they, the manufacturers, have financial incentive not to have to deal with as much waste down the road.  For more information and opinions on HB 821 turn to the Houston Chronical’s arcticle, “Tube TVs by the Ton”, and the reader comments.

For more info on this issue and other E-Waste topics head to my Diigo Page.

• WATCH: Governor vetoes TV recycling measure | News for Austin, Texas | KVUE.com | Local News

  KVUE News, Austin, TX, 6/23/09. Includes video with reporter Elise Hu. “Austin Democrat Kirk Watson says he’s stunned by a veto from Governor Rick Perry of a bill that would have encouraged people to recycle their old TVs instead of throwing them out. Watson’s measure would have called for manufacturers to take back their old sets. He says the manufacturers were OK with that, and that’s why he’s surprised Perry tossed it out. “

• tags: e-waste, ewaste, electronics, icare, p2, p2tagteam, legislation, consumer information, electronic waste, hazardous waste, product stewardship, recycling, regulatory integration, takeback, technology, televisions, waste, Texas

Comments associated with this news article are interesting; people are perplexed as to why legislation would be necessary to encourage recycling. This indicates an ignorance of the cost associated with electronics recycling.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

The text of this bill (SB-107) is available online.

• Wisconsin Senate Approves E-Waste Recycling Bill

  Associated Press via Forbes, 6/9/09. The Wisconsin Senate has approved (23-10) a bill that would require electronics manufacturers to arrange for recycling of their products.Under Wisconsin’s bill, dumping e-waste in landfills would be banned. Manufacturers would have to arrange to recycle 80 percent of the total weight of products they sold in the state in a given year. They also would have to pay up to $5,000 annually to register with state environmental officials.

  tags: e-waste, trade, p2, p2tagteam, pollution prevention, electronics, electronic waste, ewaste, regulatory integration, takeback, waste, product stewardship, legislation, policy, icare, hazardous waste, recycling

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Indiana recently became the latest state to pass e-waste legislation. See the Diigo bookmarks below for a relevant press release, as well as the text of the law.

• Enrolled Act, House Bill 1589 (Indiana)

  Indiana law signed 5/13/09. Manufacturers of video display devices, such as TVs, computer monitors and laptops, must recycle 60 percent by weight of their sales of those products. They are required to register with the state by April 2010 and must include a plan describing how they will meet their recycling targets. They can count the recycling of other electronics, such as printers, keyboards and VCRs, toward their recycling goals. Manufacturers must report their progress at the end of each program year for state review. In the third year, the state will impose penalties for noncompliance.

  tags: ewaste, electronics, icare, p2tagteam, product stewardship, regulatory integration, legislation

• Indiana Becomes Latest State to Pass E-Waste Law | GreenerComputing

  The Indiana e-waste law forces manufacturers to take responsibility for the collection and recycling of their products. Manufacturers of video display devices, such as TVs and computer monitors, must register with the state by April 2010. Greener Computing, 5/19/09.

  tags: ewaste, icare, electronics, p2tagteam, product stewardship, regulatory integration

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.