1 Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006 GREAT GADGETS TO GARGANTUAN GARBAGE POISONOUS PC’S...
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Transcript of 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
2Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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?
3Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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.
4Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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
5Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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
6Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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
7Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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.
8Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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.
9Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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
12Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
13Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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.
14Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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
15Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
Where is the USA at present?CALIFORNIA
Typical California PR
16Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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
17Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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
18Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
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
19Meeting of the Technical WG, Feb. 15, 2006
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
[email protected]@city.kingston.on.ca