FILE NO. _____________________
RESOLUTION NO. _____________________
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URGING COMPUTER AND OTHER HAZARDOUS ELECTRONICS PRODUCERS TO TAKE
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RESPONSIBILITY FOR REUSE AND RECYCLING OF THEIR PRODUCTS.
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WHEREAS, Hazardous electronic discards are an increasing problem, with more than 6,000
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computers becoming obsolete in California every day1, and 3.2 million tons of electronic waste ending
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up in United States landfills in 2000 and estimated to quadruple in the next few years2; and,
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WHEREAS, Hazardous electronics contain lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium,
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polyvinyl chloride, brominated flame retardants and other materials that can pose hazards to human
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health and the environment when handled improperly; and,
WHEREAS, The California Department of Toxic Substances Control recently affirmed that
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discarded cathode ray tubes, such as those found in televisions and computer monitors, are prohibited
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from disposal, increasing concerns and costs regarding handling, management and liability; and,
WHEREAS, discarded computers and televisions may represent just the tip of a growing problem
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for local government with waste hazardous electronics; and,
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WHEREAS, Managing hazardous electronic scrap through [County/City’s] existing household
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hazardous waste program will potentially double the volume and cost of this already over burdened
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program; and,
WHEREAS, Only 14% of personal computers that became obsolete in 1998 were recycled or
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refurbished3; and,
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WHEREAS, [County / City] is committed to protecting public health and the environment from
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hazardous discards, while reducing waste and increasing recycling consistent with state waste diversion
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requirements; and,
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Californians Against Waste, “Addressing the Environmental and Economic Cost of Obsolete Electronics (E-Scrap) in
California.” See also, National Safety Council, op cit., for National Figure.
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“Computers, E-Waste, and Product Stewardship: Is California Ready for The Challenge,” May 11, 2001, Report for the US
Environmental Protection Agency.
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Electronic Product Recovery and Recycling Baseline Report, National Safety Council, May 1999.
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WHEREAS, the form, volume and toxicity of electronics scrap demands substantially greater
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producer responsibility for: 1) reducing the amount of hazardous materials in electronic devices; 2)
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Diverting hazardous electronics from solid waste disposal; and 3) Increasing the reuse and recycling of
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electronic devices and components; and
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WHEREAS, Extended Producer Responsibility principles, such as those being adopted by several
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countries and the European Union, will foster the development of sustainable design and recovery of
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hazardous electronic equipment by shifting the default burden of management responsibility from local
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government, ratepayers and taxpayers back to the manufacturers, distributors and consumers of such
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products, in part by internalizing lifecycle costs in the price of such products; now, therefore, be it
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RESOLVED, That the [Board of Supervisors / City Council] of [County / City] hereby urges its
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State Assembly and State Senate Representatives, by letter and receipt of this resolution, to introduce
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and support legislation requiring computer and other hazardous electronics producers to operate or fund
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comprehensive programs whereby products are sustainably designed and labeled, consumers receive a
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financial incentive for proper disposal, a convenient collection infrastructure yielding a high rate of
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recovery is created and environmentally sound reuse followed by recycling is maximized; and, be it
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FURTHER RESOLVED, That if no effective producer responsibility program is created by the
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electronics industry or enacted by the California Legislature and signed by the Governor by October 15,
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2002, [County / City] will commence preparing a local ordinance to require sellers and manufacturers
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to take back hazardous electronic equipment free of charge at the point of purchase or to otherwise
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establish and finance a convenient recovery system; and, be it
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FURTHER RESOLVED, That [County / City], should the electronics industry and the Legislature
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and Governor fail to act, may additionally require a deposit or fee at the point of sale to provide
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incentives for consumers to properly return for reuse or recycling such products and cover the costs to
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[Your County / City] and others for proper management of such products.
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This Model Resolution can be downloaded from http://www.productstewardshipinstitute.org/
policies.htm.
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