Lawmaker seeking solution to 'e-waste'

A looming disposal problem threatens Utah's landfills — looming, as in a mountain of junk computers, VCRs, TVs and other electronic devices big enough to fill a quarter to a half of a Delta Center every year.

That's 23,262 tons to 46,524 tons yearly of electronic waste, in Utah alone. And as use of the devices increases and more equipment becomes obsolete, the amount is expected to grow to 10 percent of the Utah waste stream, or 2 1/4 Delta Centers' worth every year.

Valuable metal and glass that can be recycled are contained in the equipment. Unfortunately, some devices also contain toxic material like lead (4 to 8 pounds in a TV or computer), chromium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, nickel, zinc and flame retardants.

If the devices aren't recycled or disposed of properly, toxic material can leach out. In some cases, such as rural ravines where material is sometimes thrown away, they can pose a groundwater threat.

Diane R. Nielson, executive director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, said residents have been storing old electronic devices in their basements and putting them in landfills. "We're not doing a very good job of getting their valuable metals recycled," she told the Deseret Morning News.

"And to the extent that e-wastes are being improperly disposed of, we're creating environmental problems."

Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake; Brad Mertz of the Recycling Coalition of Utah; Rusty Lundberg of the Utah Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste and others related information on "e-waste" to members of the Legislature's Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee on Wednesday. McCoy is preparing a bill to encourage recycling the material, which he hopes to introduce in January's general session.

But no sooner was the matter broached than a controversy erupted: Who should pay for recycling? Manufacturers, retailers, the consumer or some combination?

McCoy called for the project to be "cost-neutral to taxpayers" meaning it would not be financed by taxpayers. It should be easy to implement, have a minimum of bureaucracy and strike a balance on who is responsible for the waste stream, he said.

A "tipping fee" increase paid for dumping material, an advance recycling fee of $6 or $10 when a computer is purchased, and making manufacturers pay a fee and guarantee taking back devices for recycling are all favored by McCoy.

"The shelf life of a computer can be three years," he said. "Your old analog televisions just aren't what they used to be."