E-Waste Bill Proposed for Wisconsin

Date: December 4, 2007

Source: News Room

Wisconsin is likely to join the growing ranks of states that have passed legislation to regulate waste electronics (e-waste). State Sen. Mark Miller plans to introduce a bill that establishes a manufacturer funded state-wide recycling program modeled from and similar to that which was recently passed in neighboring Minnesota. The Wisconsin DNR projects that there are 3.8 million computers in the state and nearly 7.5 million televisions. A DNR survey in 2002 revealed that 10,000 tons of monitors, 3,000 tons of other computer equipment, and 24,000 tons of televisions were buried in landfills. Ever shorter product lifecyles increases the environmental burden from e-wastes which typically contain cadmium, lead and mercury. The EPA estimates the recovery rate of e-waste nationwide to be less than 12%.

Electronics in Wisconsin households

From a 2006 recycling survey of 555 Wisconsin households by the Department of Natural Resources.

Number of computers per household
None 20 percent
One 41 percent
Two 22 percent
Three or more 17 percent
Total with at least one 80 percent

Plans for unused/broken computers
Recycle 20 percent
Store 14 percent
Give away 14 percent
Donate 11 percent
Salvage 11 percent
Trash 3 percent
Other 16 percent

Number of televisions per household
None 0 percent
One 14 percent
Two 29 percent
Three 25 percent
More than three 32 percent
Total with at least one set 100 percent

Number of cell phones per household
None 28 percent
One 27 percent
Two 31 percent
Three or more 14 percent
Total with at least one 72 percent

Electronic waste nationally in 2005, according to the Environmental Protection Agency

Total electronic waste 2.63 million tons
Total recycled 330,000 tons
Total sent to landfills, incinerators 2.3 million tons

Numbers do not take into account electronic equipment stored in basements, garages, etc.

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