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EIA Press Release

USA, 25 February 2002  -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Electronics Industry Alliance today issued the attached statement regarding the release of today's report on e-waste, "Exporting Harm:"

"The electronics industry is a global industry with facilities that manufacture components and equipment in countries throughout the world. We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of electronics products over their entire life cycle - from design to use to end-of-life management.

"We are deeply concerned by the findings of the "Exporting Harm" report released today by the Basel Action Network and Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. We do not support any recycling operation that fails to achieve proper safety and environmental standards.

"Most electronics are manufactured overseas and imported into the United States. To facilitate sustainability, exporting in a globalized economy needs to be a viable option. If we want to put these materials back into the manufacturing cycle - one of the primary goals of recycling - we must find cost-effective, environmentally responsible, and safe ways to move and recycle electronic equipment in the global marketplace.

"EIA continues to promote the re-use and recycling of our products at the end-of life as the most environmentally sound option for consumers, and we are actively working to develop an infrastructure that would achieve this goal. "Internationally, EIA is working with governments through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to develop internationally recognized guidelines for the environmentally sound management of scrap PCs. We hope this initiative will help governments ensure that recycling facilities operating within their borders are properly regulated and held to high environmental, health and safety standards.

"In the U.S., the electronics industry is working to develop a national system for managing end-of-life electronics through the National Electronic Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI), a multi-stakeholder group led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. One of NEPSI's key goals is to ensure that any national system achieves environmentally sound recycling. NEPSI stakeholders have agreed that a shared-responsibility model- in which manufacturers, consumers and government play a role - is most appropriate to implement in the US.

"We have also taken the lead to ensure that environmentally sound recycling is a cornerstone of any electronics recycling program. EIA and several manufacturers have initiated a one-year electronics recycling grant program to gather data about what kind of collection model will be the most cost-effective and efficient in the U.S. In this program, all recycling must be in compliance with all applicable environmental, health, and safety regulations. In addition, we are actively seeking to educate consumers as to the importance of properly managing electronics at the end of their life.

"Certain types of electronic equipment do contain substances of concern. However, it is important to remember these substances provide important health, use and safety benefits throughout their life span. For example, a cathode ray tube (CRT), used in televisions and computer monitors, contains on average 2-3 pounds of lead. Although under certain circumstances, exposure to lead may be harmful, leaded glass is used purposefully in computer and televisions screens to protect consumers from harmful x-rays.

"Currently, there are no available replacements for the small amounts of substances of concern contained in electronic equipment that can simultaneously protect consumers and satisfy important performance, cost, and functionality requirements for the electronic equipment that serves so many critical functions today. The electronics industry constantly strives to reduce the amounts of these substances whenever feasible."

About EIA The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) is a national trade organization that includes the full spectrum of U.S. manufacturers, representing more than 80% of the $550 billion electronics industry. The Alliance is a partnership of electronic and high tech associations and companies whose mission is promoting the market development and competitiveness of the U.S. high tech industry through domestic and international policy efforts. EIA, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is comprised of more than 2,300 member companies whose products and services range from the smallest electronic components to the most complex systems used by defense, space and industry, including the full range of consumer electronic products. The industry provides more than two million jobs for American workers.