Electronic waste recycling bill passes House
OLYMPIA-Mounds of computer monitors and stacks of TVs eat up space in landfills and basements, leaking poison into the ground and water. The Legislature took a leap yesterday toward fixing the electronic waste problem, by moving a bill through the House of Representatives to create an e-waste recycling program .
“E-waste presents an urgent problem and this bill is an innovative, practical solution,� said Rep. Brian Sullivan (D-Mukilteo), chair of House Natural Resources, Ecology and Parks Committee and sponsor of the House version of the bill. “The beauty of this approach is that makes recycling simple and free for consumers and links electronics recycling with electronics manufacturing, allowing companies to save money if they reduce their use of toxic materials.�
The bill (Senate Bill 6428) calls for an e-waste recycling program created and paid for by manufacturers, with community drop-off points run by retailers, non-profits, government or others.
It is estimated that 300 million tons of electronic waste is generated a year, and that 3 billion electronic units will need to be thrown away or recycled by 2010. Each television and computer monitor contains three to eight pounds of lead, in addition to toxic materials such as mercury.
This mounting problem threatens to overwhelm local governments, and could pose a risk to environmental and public health if nothing is done. Electronic products also contain valuable materials such as glass, plastic, and metals, which can be re-used.
The bill—which has the support of Hewlett Packard, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, and the Washington Retail Association, local governments, non-profit organizations, the environmental community, state Department of Ecology, and others—now moves to the Senate for agreement on amendments and then to the governor’s desk.
