How the Digital TV Deadline is Promoting
An e-Waste Tsunami
1
E-waste is Everywhere – even at the Trash
People Exhibit at National Geographic in
Washington, DC
.
What’s the Problem?
• Digital conversion is leading many to replace
their older TVs
• Electronic equipment contains many toxic
materials – CRT TVs contain 4 – 8 lbs of lead
• More e-waste is thrown in the trash than
recycled
• Most recyclers export the products
to developing countries with no
worker safety or environmental protections
• Toxic components and poor design
make e-waste hard to recycle
How Much E-Waste Ends Up In Our Landfills?
3,000,000 Tons
2,630,000
Tons Total
2,500,000 Tons
2,000,000 Tons
Each year, we generate
2.63 million TONS of
e-waste in the U.S.
TRASHED: 87.5%
2.3 million tons end up in our
landfills or incinerators.
1,500,000 Tons
1,000,000 Tons
RECYCLED: 12.5%
500,000 Tons
Only 330,000 Tons are collected
for recycling.
330,000 Tons
Recycled
Source: EPA 2005
Results of exporting e-waste to
developing countries
Video documentaries exposing
e-Waste export dumping
e-Dump by Michael Zhau
http://michaelzhao.net/eDump/
Exporting Harm and Digital Dump
http://ban.org/main/film.html
Toxic tech video by Greenpeace
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/new
s/pulling-the-plug-on-dirty-elec
Lead Toxins Take a Global Round Trip
‘E-Waste' From Computers Discarded in
West Turns Up In China's Exported Trinkets
By GORDON FAIRCLOUGH
July 12, 2007
YIWU, China -- High levels of toxic lead turning up in
cheap jewelry from China are prompting recalls in the
U.S. But some of the lead used by these Chinese
manufacturers comes from an un-conventional source:
computers and other electronic goods discarded in
Western countries and dumped in China.
Consumers are trashing
working televisions
• The digital conversion is leading consumers to
get rid of their old analog televisions, even
though many still work
• Older CRT TVs are being replaced with LCDs
• While the set-top converter box is a viable
option, for many consumers DTV conversion is
the tipping point for replacing their older TVs
• That’s why the FCC DTV rule is the largest
government mandated obsolescence
initiative in U.S. history.
Switch to digital may clog landfills
By Jonathan J. Cooper
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
05/27/2008
WASHINGTON — The switch from analog to digital television in
February could bring problems beyond new costs to consumers:
clogged landfills and pollution from old televisions.
Consumers expect to dispose of 43.5 million television sets by the
end of this year and nearly 120 million through 2010, according to
a survey by the Consumer Electronics Association, which
represents manufacturers.
International
Herald Tribune
U.S. switch to digital TV raises specter of toxic dumping of old sets
By Erica Gies
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO: Exposé videos shot by monitor groups show what
happens to most electronic goods at the end of their working lives:
Shipped to India, China, Nigeria and other developing countries, they
are deconstructed by "backyard recyclers" who hammer, chop, grind,
chip and heat them into a potent, toxic cocktail.
Working with no protection, they are exposed to materials like lead,
mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants that can cause
intellectual impairment and damage almost every organ and system in
the human body, including the brain, nerves and bones.
People of all ages are employed in this work, from young
children to grandparents, earning as little as $1.50 a day,
according to Basel Action Network, a group that campaigns
against recycling abuses. The parts that they cannot sell are
burned in vast mounds, further contaminating their air, soil
and water. The United Nations estimates that 20 million to
50 million tons of electronic waste are generated
worldwide each year.
The Basel network and similar groups, including the
Electronics TakeBack Coalition in the United States and
Greenpeace, warn that a U.S. law ending analog TV
transmission in February 2009 - enforcing a switch to
exclusively digital reception - could lead to a megadumping
of television sets.
Our Strategy:
Leaders and Laggards
• Hold up one
company as
industry leader
• pressure the
“laggards” to
measure up
Prison Chain Gang at CES 2003
Jan 2003 Las Vegas:
Prison chain gang at Consumer Electronics Show
where Michael Dell is keynote speaker. Dell had
been using prison labor for recycling.
Protests at Dell Collection events
E-Waste Fashion Show at Susan
Dell’s Dress Boutique
Dell Announces Free Takeback in 2004
Power of protest felt by Dell
August 9, 2004
Environmental groups used low-tech campaign to get computer
maker's attention on recycling
By Dan Zehr
It only took a few thousand letters and a set of prison uniforms.
When a small band of environmental groups first set its sights on Dell Inc. in May 2002, the
world's No. 1 producer of personal computers had little interest in expanding the recycling
programs for the PCs it sold…
"At first they did ignore us," said Eleanor Whitmore, who worked for the Texas Campaign for
the Environment in Austin before moving to its Arlington office. "But if you're a company,
and you're concerned about profit, and you have 6,000 letters coming in from customers and
shareholders, it really starts to add up after a while…"
Apple Shareholder Meeting 2005
Dancing iPods
Computer Company Takeback
Programs
Completely Free Takeback Program
Dell
Sometimes Free
(Free to some users, or for some products)
HP
Apple*
Asus (laptops only)
Toshiba (laptops only)
Offers Takeback Program but Consumers Must Pay
No Ongoing Takeback Program
Gateway
Lenovo
Viewsonic
Acer
NEC
(must buy extended warranty )
Take Back My TV Campaign
Strategy - Leverage the Digital
Conversion to:
•
•
•
Push big part of electronics
industry (TV companies) to do
voluntary takeback
Discredit TV companies who
lobby against producer
responsibility
Educate on how new
technologies force
unsustainably practices
(throw-away electronics)
Digital conversion is
the largest
government
mandated
obsolescence
surge in history.
TV Company Takeback Programs Today
TV Companies with Free
Takeback Program
Sony
No Ongoing Takeback Program
Funai
Hitachi *
JVC *
LG (also owns
Zenith)
Mitsubishi *
Panasonic *
Philips *
Pioneer *
Samsung
Sanyo *
Sharp *
Thomson
*(owns GE, RCA)
Toshiba *
Vizio
*
Denotes company that lobbies against state legislation promoting producer
takeback programs.
TV Targets for 2008-2009
• Leader:
– Sony. Launched program in Sept 2007
• Fence Sitters – Currently in dialogue
– Samsung (#1 seller in the US)
– LG (owns Zenith) – expected to launch program soon
• Laggards: Panasonic, Sharp, Philips (unlikely to move)
• Next round for dialogue:
– Vizio (#2 seller in the US)
– Toshiba (does computer takeback)
– Funai (#5 seller in the US)
• Retailers – Best Buy – Just announced pilot take back program
in 3 regions around the U.S.
Focus on the Digital Conversion
The media attention on the
upcoming digital conversion
helps us get the e-waste
tsunami into the story.
On the 1-year countdown, the
“Dead TVs Walking” did media
“actions” in Dallas, Austin, Ann
Arbor, Cincinnati, and Denver.
These actions got National TV
and print coverage
Eleven states (plus NY City)
have passed takeback
legislation so far
States with
producer
responsibility
e-waste laws
States with
ARF
(consumer
fee) e-waste
laws
Map current through May 16, 2008
Federal E-Waste Legislation
• Passing federal
legislation to close the
door on e-waste export
• State bills can’t address
export problem
• Promoting EPR
nationally
• Stopping a weak federal
takeback bill
GAO Report on E-Waste Export
US Government
Accountability Office
At our urging, the late
Congressman Lantos requested
that the GAO conduct a report on ewaste export, which will be
released in Fall 2008.
This report will set the stage for
federal legislation in 2009 on this
issue.
What more can be done to
address DTV conversion?
Increase public education to most
vulnerable populations, especially seniors
Put more pressure on TV companies to take
back old TVs for responsible recycling
Legislative and administrative solutions –
Congress – EPA -- FCC
Contact info
Ted Smith, Chair
Electronics TakeBack Coalition
www.electronicstakeback.com
tsmith@igc.org
408-287-6707