PRODUCER TAKE-BACK, “EPR” Extended Producer Responsibility Creates the Incentive for Green Design－Green Life

Consumers and Taxpayers Bare the Burden of a Growing E-Waste Crisis
Imagine if we had to pay $100 for each bag of trash we threw out. We would want to throw out less and buy more products that are recyclable or bio-degradable. Luckily, we do not have to pay this much for garbage. However, when it comes e-waste, consumers and taxpayers are left with the bag, trying to find funds to deal with the growing e-waste crisis. What would happen if the electronics companies had to pay that cost?

Requiring Electronics Companies to Take it Back, Make it Clean &
Recycle Responsibly
The concept behind Producer Take-Back or EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) is that if we require electronics producers to take financial responsibility for the disposal of their old and obsolete products, they have greater incentive to design toxic-free electronics that are cheaply and easily recycled. This not only alleviates the consumer and taxpayer burden, but it potentially diverts millions of pounds of e-waste from being dumped or burned. Producer Take-Back also mandates that e-waste is recycled responsibly and not sent to prisons or exported to impoverished countries where workers and children get paid as little as 25¢ per hour to smash apart toxic components without proper protection.

Some Companies Have Voluntary Take-Back Recycling Programs
Some companies, like Dell, HP and Apple, are already taking back their old products for recycling, setting the pace for the rest of the industry. Some companies offer this at no cost, and some carry incentives when you are purchasing new equipment. For instance, Dell will take back any brand computer from anywhere in the world for free when you buy a new Dell. Always check company websites for their most current policies.

DELL Recycling - Starting in September 2006, Dell will take back any Dell product for free, even if you aren’t buying a new one. You have to send it back to them, but they pay for shipping.

Apple Recycling - Apple offers free take-back and recycling to consumers who buy a new or Apple Certified refurbished computer or monitor from Apple stores, Apple phone sales or Apple’s website.

HP Product return & recycling - HP charges for their recycling service, but if you are buying a new HP product, you can usually apply an E-Coupon that you get from recycling to cover most or all of this recycling cost.

Take-Back Policy: Current E-Waste & Recycling Legislation
So far, Congress and the EPA have been inadequate in creating meaningful e-waste legislation that protects public health and our environment. Because states and municipalities currently shoulder the burden of e-waste, momentum is building to pass take-back legislation on the state level. Washington and Maine have already passed comprehensive laws, and in 2006, nineteen states and New York City are considering some form of e-waste legislation, ranging from landfill bans to study committees to taxpayer funded grant programs to full producer responsibility systems.

Key Elements of Producer Take-Back or EPR strategies

Individual Responsibility - Mandate that producers independently create and finance their own end-of-life programs for specific brand name products verses collectively sharing end-of-life responsibility with other industry counterparts. Collective systems dilute the feedback loop between recyclers and producers.

Government Mandated Participation - The most effective EPR take-back programs are enforced by government regulations that mandate individual financial and physical take-back of the product, but also set incentives for clean product design.

Accountability for Historic and Orphan Waste - EPR programs need to account for orphan and historic waste as well as current end of life product waste.

Recovery, Reuse and Recycling Requirements

Environmental Standards for Recycling Facilities

Material Restrictions

Labeling of hazardous materials contained in the product.

Consumer Notification and Free Take-Back

Requirements not to dispose of the product in landfills, incinerators, or any other means not approved as part of the producers financial responsibility program plan.