EPA Programs for Electronics Stewardship

International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment Clare Lindsay, EPA Viccy Salazar, EPA

The

Goal

 Electronic Products are designed and manufactured so they are:  Have lower impact on the environment,  Contain fewer hazardous and toxic constituents, and   Easier to reuse and recycle; Increased market demand for ‘greener’ electronic products;  There are convenient, low cost electronics reuse and recycling centers; and  Reuse and recycling centers are environmentally safe and robust markets exist for the materials.

The Big Picture on EPA’s Electronics Sector Work

Design DfE Lead Free Solder

(OPPT DfE)

DfE Computer Display LCA

(OPPT DfE)

Purchasing Electronics Product Fact Sheet

(OPPT PPD)

Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)

(OPPT PPD/OSW MISW)

Use/Re-use Energy Star

(OAR)

Cell Phone Reuse evaluation

(Reg 2)

End of Life Plug into E-Cycling

(OSW MISW)

National Electronic Product Stewardship dialogue

(OSW MISW)

Sustainable Electronics Design Competition

(OSW MISW)

Reused Electronics Market Study

(Reg 1)

TCLP Testing of Electronic Components

(OPPT DfE, Reg 4 &5)

Proposed CRT Rule

(OSW MISW

) READ Contract

(OARM

) Federal Electronics Challenge

(OPPT PPD, OSW MISW, Region 5, Region 9, Region 10, OFEE)

Resource Conservation Challenge Electronics Cluster

(OPPT/OSW)

Environmental Management System (EMS)

(Federal Government Wide)

Plug-in to eCycling

What is Plug-In to eCycling?

1.

A consumer electronics recycling outreach campaign that aims to increase the availability of safe electronics recycling.

Plug-In Partnerships

2. EPA fosters partnerships with manufacturers, retailers and government organizations to Focus more national attention on electronics recycling option and give consumers more places and opportunities to safely, conveniently and affordably recycle old electronics

Environmentally Safe Management

3. EPA pilots guidance for environmentally safe management of EOL electronics and requires Plug-in partners to use this guidance.

Plug-In Partners

: Who are they and what do they do?

Some examples:  Manufacturers  Retailers  State and Local Governments Partners agree to host collection and outreach events, feature ecycling information on website and advertising information, document data collection, use recyclers that meet EPA’s Safe recycling guidelines.

How Does EPA Support Partner Efforts?

 Recognizes partners at public events and in publications and outreach materials  EPA officials mention partners on relevant news programs  Highlights partners in press releases  Provides technical assistance as needed for collection events

Upcoming Pilot Initiatives

 Staples New England Pilot: in-store electronics takeback program with manufacturer and retailer financial support – NO FEES  Office Depot/Good Guys (CompUSA) Pacific Northwest Pilot: ongoing in-store electronics takeback program (Office Depot-4 mo.; Good Guys – 1 mo.) with manufacturer and retailer financial support. Consumer EOL fees  Best Buy Minnesota Pilot: strategic awareness raising of drop off service. Consumer EOL Fees  Discussions about piloting TPO-like system in NW **Already: Staples Redmond, WA/ Portland, OR April 22-May 8 2004 takeback initiative.

Achievements and Next Steps

Achievements:  Since the program was launched in Jan. 2003, EPA signed on 15 members in the manufacturing and retail sectors. More than 26.4 million pounds of electronics were collected by partners in the first 10 months of the program. Next Steps:   Continue recruiting private sector partners Continue to generate awareness in media and national events    Improve outreach and awareness tools for local governments and private partners Launch national ecycling data collection mechanism Encourage widespread use of Plug-In’s Safe Recycling (ESM) Guidelines

What is the Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC)?

 The FEC is a purchasing, use, and end of-life management challenge issued for federal facilities or agencies to: 1. Purchase greener electronic products 2. Manage electronic assets in an environmentally sound manner 3. Receive assistance to improve current practices

Some quick facts…

   Approximately 10,000 federally owned computers deemed excess or surplus each week  FEC establishing ESM guidelines and audit process for Federal Agencies U.S. federal sector represents a significant market share for electronics   FY 2003 IT budget –$53 BILLION (Hardware & Services) FY 2004 IT budget – approximately $59 BILLION (Hardware & Services), FY 2005 and beyond – GROWING!

Electronics represent serious environmental costs and opportunities for Federal Agencies    Federal Agencies CARE and are looking toward the FEC for answers.

See opportunities for cost savings and environmental gain Avoid potential liability

What electronics will the FEC address?

 Monitors (computers and TV)  CPUs  Copiers  Laptops  Keyboards  LCD screens  Printers  Cell phones  Other as determined by the facility

Timeline

 Pilot May 2003 - July 2004  9 Partner facilities  Including: GSA, EPA, DOI, NASA, BPA  Partner Awards in October 2004  National Program begins October 2004

Key Lessons From the Pilot

  1.

2.

Federal Agencies want to two basic pieces of information from the FEC Information on how to buy greener products (EPEAT, EPP Guidelines) and Clear direction on ESM and who can provide it (questionnaire for recyclers and audit process).

Federal Agencies are willing to put their purchasing dollars into greener products and services

Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool

EPEAT

To develop, build-on or adopt an assessment tool for electronic products and services and to actively disseminate said assessment tool. The tool should:     Promote continuous improvement Address the lifecycle Inform purchasing decisions by institutional purchasers Provide market advantage    Be low cost, user friendly, and causes minimal delay in time to market; Produces credible, verifiable outcomes Provides value in the marketplace

EPEAT Activities



Developing the Structure

 Application and Approval  Verification  Scoring  Label (or not?) 

Defining Attributes and criteria



Selecting a host organization and defining its charge

EPEAT Timeline

 Develop the Tool  November 2003 – October 2004  Hand over to a host organization  Winter 2004/2005  Piloting/Operationalizing Tool  Winter 2005 – Winter 2006  Fully Operational  Fall 2006



For More Information

  Plug-in to eCycling www.plugintoecycling.org

Verena Radulovic, USEPA [email protected], Tel: (703) 605-0760     Federal Electronics Challenge www.federalelectronicschallenge.net

Sonia Kassambara, Office of the Federal Environmental Executive [email protected], Tel: (202) 564-9288 or Viccy Salazar, EPA Project Manger [email protected], Tel: (206) 553-1060      EPEAT www.epeat.net

Viccy Salazar, EPA Project Manger [email protected], Tel: (206) 553-1060 or Larry Chalfan, Project Manager, Zero Waste Alliance [email protected], Tel: (503) 279-9383