A Shared Responsibility Approach for Minimizing Environmental Impacts Posed by Electronic Products

1. A Shared Responsibility Approach for Minimizing Environmental Impacts Posed by Electronic Products Holly Evans Electronic Industries Alliance

2. Outline • EIA Overview • Economic Importance of Industry • Concept of Shared Responsibility • Industry Role • Other Stakeholder Roles • Conclusion/Q&A

3. Electronics Industry Alliance • Trade alliance for more than 2600 members of the global electronics industry • Environmental issues are top EIA priority • EIA’s Environmental Issues Council (EIC) works to minimize environmental impacts of electronic products • More than 150 companies actively participate in EIC

4. Economic Importance of Industry • High-tech employment totaled 5.6 million in 2001 (5.1% - total US private workforce) • Contributed to 50% of the US productivity growth in second half of 1990s • Falling prices of electronic goods have reduced overall inflation by approx. 0.5%/yr (1994-1998)

5. Concept of Shared Responsibility • Who is responsible for environmental impacts posed by products? • EU - Extended Producer Responsibility • US - Extended Product Responsibility • PCSD (Sustainable America: A New Consensus, 1996) • “voluntary system in which manufacturers, suppliers, users, and disposers of products share responsibility for the environmental effects of products and waste streams.”

6. EIA Position on Shared Responsibility • The environmental impacts of electronic products can be reduced during life cycle: • Design • Use • End-of-Life • Different stakeholders have key roles to play at each life cycle stage • Industry role most important during product design stage

7. Industry Role - Design Stage • The greatest opportunity to minimize the environmental impacts of electronic products is at design stage • Key industry actions: • Minimization of materials of concern • Energy efficient design • Design for recycling, disassembly, reuse

8. Materials of Concern Used in Electronics • Lead • 30% of tin-lead solder used to apply chips to boards • Glass used in computers and TVs screens as x-ray shielding • Although only 0.7% of total societal lead use, use has been significantly reduced • Mercury • Mercury is used in certain electronics as an energy efficient light source • Use has been significantly reduced over time • These materials provide key health, functionality, and environmental benefits!

9. “Design for Reduced Materials of Concern” • There are currently no alternatives to lead in the frit, funnel, and neck of CRTs • 75% of US CRT glass industry has eliminated lead in panel glass • Industry adopting lead-free solders • alternatives include tin-silver, tin-copper • Challenges: Technical requirements, environmental trade-offs

10. Examples: Company Efforts to Reduce Materials of Concern • Printed wiring boards in Sony’s MD Walkman and VAIO SR Series notebook computers use lead-free solders • In Hewlett Packard’s computers and servers, plastics > 25 grams do not contain halogenated flame retardants • Motorola’s Concorde cell phone contains significantly less lead and brominated flame retardants than predecessor

11. Examples: Industry Efforts to Reduce Materials of Concern • EIA’s DfE Compendium • http://www.eia.org/resources/1998-01-01.11.pdf • US EPA’s Design for Environment Program • Computer Displays, Printed Wiring Boards • http://www.epa.gov/dfe/projects/index.htm • Partnership with Duke University Engineering Program

12. “Design for Energy Efficiency” • The electronics industry is dedicated to the design, production, and marketing of energy-efficient products • Important to note trade-offs between functionality and energy efficiency • To evaluate products on energy efficiency, must compare “like” products • Sleep mode versus stand-by mode • More functional units versus basic units

13. Electronics are Part of Energy Solution • Electronic products save energy • Networked heating, cooling, lighting systems • Improved commercial monitoring • Teleworking/remote access to information • Result: Reduced fuel consumption, smokestack emissions • Products are smaller, more functional, and more efficient every product cycle!

14. 1 megawatt can power 1,000 homes 3.62 trillion kilowatt hours powered the U.S. in 1998 Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Labs; NOVA, PBSonline

15. Electronic Product - Energy Use • Products are NOT major component of national electricity demand • Office and network equipment comprise only 2 percent of U.S. electricity usage • Including telecommunications equipment and energy to produce office equipment, demand share rises to only 3 percent Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL)

16. AVERAGE ELECTRICITY USAGE PER HOUSEHOLD Source: EIA, A Look at Residential Energy Consumption, 1997

17. Examples: Company Efforts to Reduce Product Energy Usage • AMD flash memory semiconductors consume so little power in standby that most test equipment cannot measure it • Canon has developed “on demand” fixer technology for copiers that reduces power consumption by 25% • All IBM PCs, monitors and desktop printers meet Energy Star specifications

18. Examples: Industry Efforts to Reduce Product Energy Use • Participation in EPA’s Energy Star program • Has developed guidelines for more than 30 product categories • Consumer electronics are among the most energy efficient of all Energy Star products

19. “Design for Recycling, Disassembly, Reuse” • Wherever feasible, designers have reduced the number of parts per product to make assembly and disassembly as easy as possible. • Apple, Dell, and HP all label plastics greater than 25 grams with standard recycling identification • In Sony’s Stereo-wide TV, number of parts have been reduced 30%.

20. Industry Role at Other Stages • Use Stage • Promote the purchase of Energy Star products • End-of-Life Stage • Help provide collection and recycling opportunities for businesses and consumers • company programs • industry programs • retail programs • government programs

21. Hewlett Packard • Internet based Mail in Program - allows consumers and businesses to recycle unwanted computers and equipment from any manufacturer • Fee varies depending on product/quantity • Information available on HP’s website: http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/community/environment/recycle.htm

22. IBM • IBM PC Recycling Service- internet based mail in program allows consumers and businesses to recycle unwanted computers and equipment from any manufacturer • Fee: $29.99 • Information available on IBM’s website: • http://www.ibm.com/ibm/environment/products/prp.phtml

23. Dell • Dell offers a variety of ways to manage end-of-life computer equipment from any manufacturer • U.S. consumers can trade-in, donate or auction old PCs through DellExchange • www.dell4me.com/dellexchange • For business, educational and government customers, Dell Financial Services, L.P offers PC Recycling and Asset Recovery services • http://www.dellfinancialservices.com/solutions/asset_recovery.asp

24. Retail Initiatives • Best Buy held 10 collection events in 2002 • Collected 257,243 pounds of electronic • Will hold 15 more events in 2003 • Gateway awards consumer up to $50 when they buy new computer and donate old PC

25. Company Sponsorship of Events • Several industry members actively sponsor recycling events • Some manufacturers underwrite cost of recycling their products • Others provide products as a collection incentive

26. EIA Consumer Education Initiative Website • Provides consumers with information regarding local collection events and reuse/recycling opportunities • Averages 1000 hits per day! www.eiae.org

27. EIA Recycling Grants • October 2001 - EIA awarded three recycling grants • US EPA Region III • NERC • Florida • Canon, HP, JVC, Kodak, Nokia, Panasonic, Philips, Sharp, Sony, Thomson Multimedia funded grants

28. Other Stakeholder Roles and Responsibilities • Use Stage • User: • Purchase Energy Star products • Do not disable settings • Turn off products when not in use • Government: • Set specifications that are stringent yet achievable • Encourage purchase via procurement policies • Environmental Groups: • Acknowledge that use stage is where greatest impacts can be minimized

29. Other Stakeholder Roles and Responsibilities • End-of-Life Stage • User • Seek out collection and recycling events • Government • Help provide collection opportunities • Clarify regulatory status • Environmental Groups • Continue to play a constructive role in helping develop solution.

30. Important to Keep Issue in Perspective • According to EPA, E-waste is approx. 1% of overall waste stream • OECD has stated that most of environmental impacts posed by electronic products occurs during their production and use • Need to focus efforts and resources accordingly

31. Conclusion • Industry has responded to concerns about environmental impacts posed by electronics • Industry has greatest opportunity to minimize impacts during design stage • Industry actively pursuing such efforts • Industry actively partnering with others to minimize impacts at other stages as well. • Success will require effort by all stakeholders.

32. For More Information Holly Evans Electronic Industries Alliance Phone: (703) 907-7576 E-mail: hevans@eia.org