"This bill is a winner," said Rep. Mike Cooper (D-Edmonds), sponsor of the legislation. "It will defuse a growing toxic waste problem by finally giving consumers a convenient way to recycle their computers and TVs. At the same time, it creates market-based incentives to ensure that our electronics industry becomes steadily greener and cleaner -- and it would do all of this without increasing taxes one penny."

Currently, taxpayers, local governments, schools and businesses all bear the burden and costs of safely managing discarded electronic equipment, which contains toxic materials. For example, to prevent landfill dumping of electronic waste, Snohomish County recently financed a one-time "clean-out" of broken electronics from local school districts that resulted in 135 tons of materials at a cost to taxpayers of $55,000.

"With state and local governments facing severe budget crises, the best common-sense approach to the problem without raising taxes or disposal rates is through 'producer responsibility'," said Suellen Mele of Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation (WCRC). "Computers and televisions should pay their own way to the recycler, rather than having the taxpayer cover the bill."

"Producer responsibility" has taken hold in Europe and Japan, and covers products there ranging from paints to automobiles. Under the bill, manufacturers would be required to arrange for convenient collection sites to serve urban and rural populations throughout Washington. The sites could be at retailers of electronics, municipal recycling centers, charities, electronics recyclers and repair shops, or other suitable locations. Consumers would be able to return their discarded televisions and computers free of charge.

Exactly how the program is financed and implemented would be left to manufacturers, allowing them to use their ingenuity to respond in a way that works for them and that is the most cost effective. While it is presumed that initially costs would be passed to consumers by a small increase in product prices, it is anticipated that by putting the responsibility on producers, they will then have a strong economic incentive to make end-of-life disposal costs shrink through "green" design.

"Producer responsibility makes a lot of sense," said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. "It takes costs away from our garbage rate payers and creates financial incentives for manufacturers to make more environmentally responsible products. I strongly support efforts to encourage manufacturers to design their products so they are less toxic and more recyclable."

Due to the significant levels of lead and other toxic materials used in computers and televisions, the disposal of such waste poses a serious hazard at landfills where the substances can contaminate future groundwater resources.

Equally alarming is the fact that currently much of our electronic waste is freely traded on the open market, with massive amounts of it exported, dumped and recycled in squalid and dangerous conditions in countries like China. Last February, the Seattle-based Basel Action Network (BAN) released a globally publicized report and film entitled "Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia." This report sent shockwaves around the world but so far has not caused the United States government to forbid the export of toxic electronic waste as European countries have done.

"The export of our hazardous computer effluent to the less affluent is a disgrace and an affront to global environmental justice," said Sarah Westervelt of BAN. "While such export is steadily being banned globally, everyday, computer waste from Washington State still continues to be exported to the poorest Asian countries, even against those countries wishes."

According to Craig Lorch of Total Reclaim, a Seattle area electronics recycler, "The legal export and legal dumping in local landfills make it very difficult for responsible recyclers to compete here in the USA."

The Washington legislation is one of 25 state bills that have recently been introduced or readied, due to the fact that federal legislation is seen to be lagging far behind the necessity for immediate action. WCRC and BAN are both working as part of the national Computer TakeBack Campaign that is promoting legislation for producer responsibility for electronic products.

Contacts:

Suellen Mele, 206-783-1776, WA Citizens for Resource Conservation (WCRC) www.wastenotwashington.org

Sarah Westervelt, or Jim Puckett 206-652-5555, Basel Action Network (BAN) www.ban.org