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Home / Washington Business - May/June 2004 / Member Helper: AWB's Leadership on Electronic Waste Results in Solutions That Work |
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Member Helper: AWB's Leadership on Electronic Waste Results in Solutions That Work |
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Written On: May/June 2004 |
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Written By: by Daniel Brunell |
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One of the biggest challenges of the 21st Century is dealing with the progress of the 20th Century — especially old computers, monitors, cellular phones and televisions.
These appliances depend on lead, mercury, cadmium, and other potentially hazardous materials to operate. After a five-to-eight year useful life, many are tossed in the dumpster and sent to landfills where they can leach into the soil and groundwater.
The Association of Washington Business (AWB) recognized this problem a decade ago. “We formed the Computers for Kids program along with the Dept. of Corrections, community colleges and public schools,” AWB President Don Brunell said. For its efforts, Gov. Locke presented AWB and its partners with a prestigious Quality Award in 2000.
AWB worked with its members to collect old computers, monitors and keyboards and truck them to the Airway Heights Correction Facility near Spokane for refurbishment. Community college instructors from Spokane taught inmates how to repair and upgrade the systems, which were then redistributed to schools.
Computers for Kids worked for a while until the system was overwhelmed by old hardware with too little storage, transportation and redistribution capacity. “But the biggest hurdle was dealing with the metals, gases and other contaminants from canalized systems which could not be recycled,” Brunell added.
AWB Pushed for Passage of E-Waste Bill
For the last couple of years, AWB has pushed for reasonable electronic waste legislation, but didn’t like the provisions of HB 2488, Rep. Mike Cooper’s (D-Edmonds) bill.
If implemented as Cooper drafted, the bill would have made manufacturers solely responsible for e-waste and would have set up a huge new bureaucracy to administer Cooper’s system.
“We were very, very concerned about this legislation,” said David Thompson, director of Panasonic’s Corporate Environmental Department. “We felt that we needed to get involved.”
Panasonic is one of the world leaders in electronics manufacturing with facilities in Vancouver. Since 1993, Panasonic has been heavily involved with electronic recycling legislation across the nation and in using recycled materials in their products. Thompson saw states like California adopt egregious, reactionary legislation that not only hurt manufacturers, but consumers and the environment.
AWB and Environmental Activists Hammer Out Bill
In response, AWB, Panasonic and other high-tech members sat down with environmental activists and government leaders and revamped Cooper’s bill. After long negotiations, the new HB 2488 was hatched.
It took a different line of attack. Instead of heavy-handed government approach, HB 2488 funds studies by the Dept. of Ecology to explore the emerging pilot electronic recycling programs. Stakeholders will learn what works and implement those programs.
“What this does is allow communities like Redmond and Kirkland to continue their initiatives on electronic recycling.” said Grant Nelson, AWB’s governmental affairs director assigned to the issue. “It also lets communities find out what works for them. For example, curbside pick-up is not practical in rural areas and an alternative needs to be found … this flexibility was impossible in the first draft of the bill.”
“We are happy with what was able to come from this compromise,” Thompson added. “We hope to be more involved as Washington continues to find a long-term solution that’s good for everyone.”
Because of AWB’s leadership, the result in Washington was much different than in California and Oregon. HB 2488 passed the House, 97-0, the Senate, 48-0. Gov. Locke gladly signed the bill earlier this year.
“So what AWB started as an innovative experiment to help school kids and the environment now has an opportunity to blossom a statewide initiative,” Brunell concluded. “This is a win-win and is an example of what can be accomplished when people want to solve problems by working together. There is no question in our minds that we will find ways to solve this vexing problem because of the cooperation shown by all involved.”
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