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GAO blasts EPA enforcement of e-waste disposal regulations
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Despite an increased focus on reducing the improper disposal of hazardous waste associated with old electronic equipment, the Environmental Protection Agency has failed to adequately enforce regulatory controls according to a report released this week by the Government Accountability Office.
And the problem is likely much greater than the GAO report would indicate. Currently, the EPA tracks only the disposal of cathode-ray tubes (CRTs), which are particularly harmful because they can contain as much as four pounds of lead, a known toxin.
"It's absolutely just the tip of the iceberg," says Robert Houghton, president and chief executive of Redemtech, a leading electronics recycler. "The report documents that the EPA has not been rigorous in its enforcement of the CRT rules, and CRTs represent maybe 20%, at the most, of the toxic e-waste being exported."
U.S. Representative Gene Green (D-Tex) this week compared the EPA enforcement of e-waste regulations to "putting up a speed limit sign, but no one is writing any tickets."
The GAO report found that not only does the EPA's focus on CRTs fail to meet the scope of the e-waste problem, but also noted that companies can easily circumvent current CRT rules, and that overall EPA enforcement is lacking. GAO representatives posed as foreign buyers of broken CRTs in Hong Kong, India, Pakistan and other countries, and found 43 U.S. companies expressed a willingness to improperly export e-waste.
It can cost between 10 cents and 25 cents a pound to properly process electronic scrap, according to Redemtech. Some companies do not consider the potential risk to its brand name, or the potential for criminal actions both domestically and in foreign countries if they fail to follow proper disposal practices.
"I will debate the question of whether it is really more expensive to properly recycle in the long run," Houghton says. The most effective method of recycling is to refurbish electronics for reuse and resale. Redemtech operates 21 retail stores where refurbished equipment can be purchased. It also sells the refurbished equipment to the employees of its customers, sells the equipment on the Internet, or can arrange for donation to non-profit organizations.
