Representatives of manufacturers, consumers, and recyclers are advising Congress on legislation that would create a national standard for disposal of e-waste. Earlier this year, a group of congressional representatives formed the E-Waste Working Group to target the growing problem.

"It's tough to figure out a plan that would work for all parties," says a spokesperson for Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY), who is a member of the group.

Up-Front Payment Considered

An option that Slaughter endorses would call for a front-end user fee to be added to the price of electronic devices, to pay for their proper disposal. This advance-recycling-fee idea is similar to a state law in effect in California that requires consumers to pay money up front to aid in the disposal of electronics.

"We feel that [an advance recycling fee] is the best way to ensure a consistency for consumers, the government, and manufacturing," says Kristi Taylor of the Consumer Electronics Association, a group that represents manufacturers and sellers of electronics. "There's kind of an ad hoc approach at the state level, and a few different approaches are getting passed via legislation, each differing in their own way, which makes it tricky for the industry."

Take-Back Model Endorsed by Some

But some corporations, such as Hewlett-Packard, say that a more efficient business model would be to allow consumers to take back old products to the manufacturer.

"Our experience suggests that there's a better likelihood of keeping costs low in a producer-run system than [there is] adding taxes and funding government programs," says David Isaacs of HP. "We are advocating a system that has some flexibility built into it so [that] people who believe they can [recycle] faster, cheaper, and with greater innovation can do so."

This so-called take-back model has some support in the Senate. Last July, Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jim Talent (R-MO) introduced Senate Bill 510, the Electronic Waste Recycling Promotion and Consumer Protection Act, which would, according to Wyden, "create the first-ever nationwide e-waste recycling infrastructure." That bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.

Congress to Recycle Own E-Waste

Before Congress acts on the issue, it also plans to clean up its own e-mess. Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) last month proposed a bill aimed at coordinating efforts for both houses of Congress to standardize the way they dispose of electronics.

"Each year Americans dispose of 2 million tons of electronics, which contain harmful chemicals such as lead and mercury," Thompson said in a release. "Before we can enact a national plan, Congress needs its own plan to properly dispose of its own e-waste. This is an opportunity for Congress to lead by example."

Both Thompson's bill and a proposal to cut e-waste are expected to be taken up by the House sometime early next year.