Electronics — Manufacturer Take-Back

Encouraging manufacturer take-back programs is one of the best steps for long-term management of this growing e-waste problem.

Right now, the U.S. lags far behind Europe in requiring manufacturers to take responsibility for the waste their products produce. Municipal and state government have born the responsibility of managing this ever-growing hazardous waste without any financial support from the companies that created it. But Electronics Take-Back programs are beginning to make some strides and some manufacturers are jumping on board early on.

Four states — California, Maine, Maryland, and Washington — have signed laws requiring some level of manufacturer responsibility, with the law passed in March 2006 in Washington state the most aggressive to date. (Manufacturer take-back legislation was introduced in the VT legislature in 2005 but didn't get very far.) Take-Back programs currently target computers and TVs, but could evolve to include all electronics on the market that are manufactured with the kinds of materials that make them a risk for disposal-heavy metals like lead, fire retardants, mercury, and more.
  • Contact your legislators for an update on the take-back legislation effort in VT,
  • Contact the manufacturers whose products you buy and request more aggressive take-back programs, and/or
  • Get involved in the national effort. See www.computertakeback.com and www.takebackmytv.com.

In response to increasing consumer and legislative pressure, some electronics manufacturers now offer take-back programs for some products. These are essentially recycling programs, akin to recycling your e-waste at the CVSWMD's Barre Town Recycling Depot, but the manufacturer covers some or all of the costs, including shipping.

Some offer free recycling for old systems when you purchase a new one, and others also offer fee-based recycling for a variety of electronic products.

The Computer TakeBack Campaign published a helpful report in Oct. 2006 entitled: Recycling Your Computer: Which computer companies will take back your old computer? It covers the major manufacturers and take-back program details for each.