U.S. Senate considers e-scrap legislation

Recycling Today, April, 2005

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) have introduced legislation that would give consumers and industry tax incentives to safely dispose of old or outdated personal or office electronics.

The Electronic Waste Recycling and Promotion and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 would provide incentives to create the first-ever nationwide electronic waste recycling infrastructure, making it more convenient and cost effective for consumers to recycle computers, monitors, laptops and televisions. The proposed legislation also directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of various e-scrap recycling programs to recommend a national program.

"As technology improves and folks get newer and faster computers, they need a safe and easy way to get rid of their old machines," Wyden says. "This legislation gives consumers, recyclers, retailers and manufacturers alike incentives to recycle old computers responsibly."

Talent says, "We want to provide an incentive for people to recycle electronic waste and create an infrastructure that makes the process as convenient and cost-effective as possible. This is a common-sense idea that will help protect our land, air and water from toxins such as lead, mercury and other hazardous materials contained in electronics."

The bill, which is expected to be referred to the Senate Finance Committee, calls for:

* Establishing an $8-per-unit tax credit for companies that recycle at least 5,000 display screens or computer system units per year.

* Establishing a $15 tax credit for consumers who recycle their old computers and TVs, provided they use qualified recyclers.

* Prohibiting the disposal of any electronic equipment containing a display screen greater than 4 inches or any computer system in a municipal solid waste landfill beginning three years after the bill is passed. (Contingent on the EPA finding that most households have access to e-recycling.)

* Modifying the EPA's Universal Waste Rule to classify display screens and systems as "universal wastes," facilitating the collection, processing, transportation and recycling of these units.

Several groups have expressed support for the bill, including the National Recycling Coalition, the Environmental Technology Council, the Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition, Waste Management Corp., Hewlett Packard Corp. and Intel Corp.