ELECTRONIC Equipment
 and Product Stewardship

Thank you!

For More Information: David Stitzhal serves as the Council coordinator. Contact him at Full Circle Environmental, Inc. 206-723-0528 or fullcircle@nwnexus.com.

Last updated: November 15, 2001

The Northwest Product Stewardship Council’s electronic equipment work group brings together manufacturers, local businesses and governmental agencies to incorporate product stewardship principles into the technology industry. Changes to manufacturing,  distribution, purchasing and recycling processes can save resources and reduce the environmental impact of these products.

What is the Problem? 

Short Life Span.  Rapid technological advances in both computer hardware and software have shortened the useful life of a personal computer to two or three years - and it continues to shrink.

Large Volumes.  In 1999, approximately 14 million personal computers were retired in the United States. Eighty percent of old computers remain in storage and it is estimated that 55 million personal computers will be disposed by 2005. In Seattle and King County, 165,000 residents have one or more personal computers in storage, waiting for an alternative to disposing of their computers.

Toxic Components.  Second only to vehicle batteries, glass picture tubes (cathode ray tubes or CRTs) in computer monitors are the single largest source of lead in the waste stream. Circuit boards also contain lead, chromium, and other hazardous materials. Landfills and incinerators are often not designed to handle large quantities of these wastes. 

Costly to Disassemble. Computers were designed to be disposed rather than recycled, therefore it is difficult and costly to separate the high-value recyclable materials and the toxic components from discarded computers.

Wasted Resources. Newer, used computers can be re-used by others if they make their way back into the market soon enough. Many computer components including glass, plastic and heavy metals can be reclaimed and reprocessed into other consumer products.

The Product Stewardship Solution 

Manufacturers of computer equipment practice Product Stewardship when they design their equipment so that there is little impact on the environment and little or nothing is wasted during and after the useful life of the equipment.

Here are some ways that computer manufacturers can make a difference:

Materials Selection and Design.  Manufacturers can select materials and design the product so that it results in the least impact upon the environment, for example:

• Design the equipment to use recycled and/or recyclable materials such as a single plastic resin and recyclable metals.

• Design equipment so that is more recyclable, for example, use a single plastic resin and fasteners that are easy to take apart.

• Use low or no toxicity materials do not emit, contain, or produce chemicals that are hazardous to human health such as lead-free solder or switches that do not contain mercury. 

• Conserve Resources. Manufacturers can design products and adopt practices that require fewer resources. For example, computers can be designed to contain less lead, run on less electricity or use renewable energy such as solar power.

• Clean Production. Cleaner production methods reduce air and water emissions and waste.

• Offer the Product as a Service (Product Leasing).  Consumers may not be as interested in the owning a product as they are in getting the service the product offers. For example, consumers don’t necessarily need to own the plastics and glass in a computer but they want the service the computer gives them — the ability to run software applications, access the internet, etc. Manufacturers can that lease their products to consumers and provide maintenance and upgrade services. Once the computer is past its useful life, manufacturers can take the computer back and have it refurbished or recycled.

• Product Take-Back.  Manufacturers can take back old computer equipment when the equipment can no longer be used. By taking products back, manufacturers can evaluate the product and make design changes to improve the performance of the product. They can also obtain materials for use in manufacturing new products and can refurbish parts for re-use.

To encourage manufacturers to adopt Product Stewardship practices, the NWPSC work group has developed A Guide to Environmentally Preferable Computer Purchasing. The Guide provides suggestions that will help buyers include product stewardship principles in purchasing criteria and bids. Let the manufacturers know that you want environmentally friendly options by speaking with your dollars.

The NWPSC work group is also meeting with major computer buyers in the Northwest to learn more about their purchasing protocols and to encourage the integration of product stewardship principles into those protocols. The group is also contacting OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to learn more about products that incorporate product stewardship principles. Lists of these products will be posted on this web site soon so keep in touch!

Updated 08/15/2001