Arlington, VA, July 26, 2005 - If policymakers want to promote the development of an efficient electronics recycling infrastructure that is convenient for the public, they should ensure national regulatory consistency based on a system of shared responsibility among all stakeholders, the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) said today in testimony before a Senate subcommittee investigating the issue. Click here to read the testimony in full.

"EIA supports equitable, flexible and cost-effective solutions that encourage the proper management of used electronics while limiting additional costs to the public for these popular products," EIA Director of Environmental Affairs Richard Goss told the Senate Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management. "Given the complex nature of the challenge, we support efforts to establish a viable recycling infrastructure in which all the major stakeholders - manufacturers, government, retailers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and recyclers - participate based on their unique expertise and capabilities. The combined goal of these institutional stakeholders should be to develop a recycling infrastructure that is convenient for the residential consumer. Implementing a system based on principles of shared responsibility will increase the efficient collection of electronics and ensure economies of scale by taking advantage of existing infrastructure."

Goss noted that science should be the basis of any policy decisions associated with electronics end-of-life issues. "The U.S. EPA has consistently stated that used electronics products, when properly managed, do not represent a human health or environmental concern. The agency considers electronics recycling as fundamentally a solid waste management and resource conservation issue. Likewise, our member companies recognize that reusing and recycling electronics at the end of life is the most environmentally preferable option, and we support reasonable efforts to develop the recycling infrastructure."

According to Goss, the electronics industry is continuously working to make materials used in electronics manufacturing and operations more environmentally friendly. Companies are also instituting and managing more recycling-related activities as part of their day-to-day operations. "On the whole, every year our products become more energy efficient, use fewer materials of potential environmental concern, and become easier to upgrade, disassemble and recycle," he noted. EIA member companies are also on track to be in compliance with the European Union Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (the RoHS Directive). This Directive, which takes effect in July 2006, broadly restricts the use of six compounds in electronics products. Since electronics products are manufactured for global sale and distribution, U.S. consumers will have broad access to products that comply with the new EU requirements.

Member companies within the Alliance have been involved in the proper recovery and management of well over one million tons of used electronics products through direct corporate efforts, as well as partnerships such as EPA's Plug-in to E-Cycling Campaign. In addition, EIA member companies use significant quantities of recycled materials, including glass, metals and plastics, in new generations of their products. Combined, these actions demonstrate that "the electronics industry continues to achieve significant and sustained environmental progress throughout the entire product lifecycle: from design, through beneficial use, to end-of-life," Goss told the Subcommittee.

The electronics industry currently contends with a patchwork of state and local regulatory obligations that prevents the efficient and cost-effective recycling of electronics. Given this trend, the Alliance believes "there is clearly a role for the federal government to play in bringing national consistency to this emerging field," Goss noted. "Federal action can help promote safe and environmentally sound recycling by creating a streamlined and uniform regulatory framework that removes artificial barriers and instead encourages the free flow of used products for proper management." Making this possible will require the following:

• establishing consistent regulatory definitions of key terms, and strictly defining the scope of covered products;
• considering the establishment of a flexible third party organization that can help with roles such as data reporting, compliance, and financing;
• ensuring broad consistency in labeling, product information, and regulatory reporting; and,
• assessing whether additional recycling regulations or standards are necessary to ensure the safe and environmentally sound management of used electronics.

In summary, electronics recycling is an emerging issue that requires broad cooperation and consistent regulation. At the end of the day, e-cycling "is a complex challenge that will require the coordinated efforts of all the key stakeholders to resolve," Goss told the Subcommittee.

About EIA: The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) is the leading advocate in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. high-tech industry. The Alliance, which traces its origins to the Radio Manufacturers Association (chartered in 1924), is a partnership of electronic and high-tech associations and companies whose mission is to promote the market development and competitiveness of the $400 billion U.S. high-tech and electronics industries through domestic and international policy efforts. EIA's corporate members - nearly 1,300 - provide products and services ranging from microscopic electronic components to state-of-the-art defense, space and industry high-tech systems, as well as the full range of telecommunications and consumer electronics products. Headquartered in Arlington, Va., the Alliance is made up of the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA); the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA); JEDEC; the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA); and leading consumer electronics companies who participate in EIA's Environmental Issues Council. EIA is also heavily involved in cyber security issues through the Internet Security Alliance (ISAlliance), and education issues, through the National Science & Technology Education Partnership (NSTEP).