1 meeting of the technical wg, feb. 15, 2006 great gadgets to gargantuan garbage poisonous pc’s...

1Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006

GREAT GADGETS TO GARGANTUAN GARBAGE

POISONOUS PC’S AND TOXIC TV’S

Obsolete but not forgotten?

Prepared by Ken Davies, DVALWith Inspiration from John Rhodes, City of Kingston


Introduction

Society is discarding Electronic Waste (TV’s, VCR,s, PC’s, Phones, etc.)at an increasing rate.

Ontario alone discards approx. 4.3 million units of A/V equipment annually totaling 50,000 tonnes, only 1 - 2% of which is reprocessed.

Between 3% and 4% of municipal waste is EW and growing rapidly

The technology of TV’s, PC’s and other consumer devices advances at a rapid rate. Useful lifetimes of 2 – 5 years are not uncommon.

Updates and/or repair is generally impractical. Today, est. that each Canadian home includes 2 computers and 1.5 televisions that no longer are used and awaiting disposal

What is in this material?


What is in all this Electronic Waste?

Heavy metals – Lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium, chromium

Copper, iron, aluminum, tin

Plastics – vinyl chlorides, phenolics

Brominated flame-retardants

Rare earths

High lead glasses

High concentrations of these substances in the environmentare highly undesirable and represent major health hazards.


Where Does it all go NOW

Storage awaiting a final disposition

Landfills – water polution a concern

Incineration – release of toxic products into the air and rain-water

Take-back by manufacturers

Ship it overseas to recyclers in third world countries having lax regulations

Ship it to low technology recyclers within Canada or in the USA

Into a collection network with non-hazardous recycling capability


Where Does the Money Come From?

Levy on Sales of New Equipment

Take Backs - Requiring Suppliers to deal with their own scrapped products

Problem of Orphan Products, those where there is noidentifiable supplier existing

Any program also requires administration, public or private


Where is Canada at present?

Domestic Waste Disposal is a Municipal-level responsibility

But …the regulation of the Environment is a Provincial matter

And…there is a diversity of suppliers, often outside provincial jurisdiction

Progress is thus slow and difficult as the stakeholders and affected parties have very divergent views


Where is Canada at present? (cont’d)ONTARIO

Minster’s Letter of Dec. 2004 started stakeholder consultation and discussion within WDO as the WEEE project (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment)

Project includes both professional and consumer A/V equipmentand PC’s, along with a large range of other electrical products.

WEEE project report files July, 2005 with consultants reports

Recommended formation of an independent organization (IFO)funded from levies on EEE products sold in Ontario

Project now sitting in the Min. of Environment office for consideration and decision-making. No date has been set.


Where is Canada at present? (cont’d)ALBERTA

WEEE diversion program has been running since October, 2004.

Program managed by Alberta Recycling Management Authority through IFO Electronics Recycling Alberta

100 collection sites and 5 qualified recycling organisations.

Starting Feb. 2005 EEE retailers started collecting an Environmental Fee on Designated Electronic items.

In first year program collected 2,900 tons of e-waste.


Where is Canada at present? (cont’d)ALBERTA

10

Shades of Things to Come in Ontario (and elsewhere)

Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006

11

The Price of Recycling the TV Set


Where is Canada at present? (cont’d)OTHER PROVINCES

Looking at similar WEEE projects to Alberta and Ontario

Other Provinces have yet to express interest.


Where is the USA at present?CALIFORNIA

California has a waste diversion/recycling program in operation since 2004 financed by a fee at retail level.

California Fees:$6.00 when the screen is larger than 4 inches, but smaller than 15 inches $8.00 when the screen is at least 15 inches, but smaller than 35 inches $10.00 when the screen is 35 inches or larger

Technologies Included in Recycling:CRT, LCD, Plasma


Where is the USA at present?CALIFORNIA

Typical California PR


Where is the USA at present?OTHER STATES

Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maine have active eWaste programs to effect recycling

Other states have programs similar to California under consideration

Where is Europe at present?

EU has a complete set of laws and regulations in place dealing with WEEE. Directive adopted May, 2001 for “Take Back” treatemnt of e-waste


CONCLUSIONS

Canadian provinces are slowly putting in place programs to mandate WEEE diversion into recycling. These programs may not be coordinated and will cause confusion and resistance from consumers.

CE retailers and suppliers will be effected directly and need to have a strong and coordinated position to voice, against those of other stakeholders.

Broadcasters and programmers may be indirectly affected as the DTV conversion may be slowed by WEEE considerations for equipment replaced.

Municipalities are concerned about the lack of recycling opportunities and present and the problem of a massive surge from the closet when WEE programs are introduced


USEFUL LINKS

California Recycling http://www.erecycle.org

California Waste Management Board http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/electronics/act2003/

Alberta Recycling http://www.albertarecycling.ca/

Alberta Environment http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/waste/ewaste/products.html

Ontario Waste Management http://www.wdo.ca

http://www.erecycle.org/


THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

[email protected]@city.kingston.on.ca

1 meeting of the technical wg, feb. 15, 2006 great gadgets to gargantuan garbage poisonous pc’s...

Documents