Congress Tackles The Dangers Of Your Old Electronics

Old laptops, cell phones and other electronics are piling up at an alarming rate as Americans upgrade to the latest technology. But there is a danger in trashing, even recycling old electronics. Some U.S. companies ship electronic waste to developing countries where it is taken apart or burned with little or no safety regulation, exposing workers to dangerous chemicals. The Electronics TakeBack Coalition estimates 50% to 80% of e-waste collected by recyclers in the U.S. is exported to developing countries. In states that don’t ban e-waste from landfills the old electronics leach into the land over time and are released into the atmosphere.

Now some lawmakers want to put an end to illegal and dangerous exports of e-waste. The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act of 2011 was just introduced into the House. It aims to stop the export of electronics that contain toxic material like mercury and lead. The bill would also create green jobs by keeping e-waste recycling in the U.S. and not overseas where it is often shipped to save money. So far, 25 states have passed e-waste recycling legislation but the laws do not ban exports since trade is outside the jurisdiction of states. Supporters of federal legislation say state laws are keeping most e-waste out of landfills but cannot stop recyclers from shipping parts to third world countries.

Leading electronics manufacturers including HP, Dell, Samsung, Apple and Best Buy have all endorsed the legislation. They are also pushing for recycling companies in the U.S. to abide by standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency, to upgrade their recycling technology and create more jobs.

Your can Do Your Part to get those metals disposed of safely or recycled back into the next generation of electronics. It’s cost effective for the manufacturer and the customer. And, it’s easy.

Who doesn’t have a used computer, hard drive, printer or video game players stuck in a closet around the house? Consider donating them to a local non-profit, like Goodwill. They have a partnership with Dell called ‘Reconnect’ where nearly 2,000 participating Goodwill locations across the US will accept any brand of computer equipment and certain Microsoft products such as Xbox and Zune. Goodwill either sells or responsibly recycles the products and all the money made is used to create job training and employment opportunities for people in your community. Goodwill will wipe all of the personal information off of working hard drives. Non-working units will have a spike drilled through the hard drive to make sure you information stays safe.

Source: Examiner.com
By Terri Bennett