US charts e-waste strategy

ZDNet.

The government also said it will do a better job of figuring out how to recycle or reuse its cast-off or outdated IT equipment.

The moves come as the pressure rises for the US to become a better national steward of policies that cut down on electronic waste (e-waste), the fastest growing part of the nation's municipal waste stream.

According to ComputerWorld, the new strategy also directs US agencies to buy, reuse and recycle electronics responsibly, and to use certified recyclers to dispose of electronics. The strategy calls for agencies to step up their efforts to track government electronics after they are disposed of.

The US government needs to lead by example in the area of energy efficiency and e-recycling, officials said. “The nation's largest single consumer of electronics, the federal government, will now be the nation's most responsible user of electronics, Energy Star or Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool standards, GSA administrator Martha Johnson said.

The new strategy also aims to promote the US e-recycling industry, with the government promoting e-recycling options for consumers, says Lisa Jackson, administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Every year, almost 2.5 million tonnes of used electronics are discarded in the US, which contains valuable resources such as precious metals and rare earth materials, as well as plastic and glass, reveals Waste Management World.