CEA Devising ‘Industry-Wide, National’ E-Waste Recycling Initiative

CEA is leading an effort to develop a “national, industry-wide” electronics recycling program that will “ensure all parties involved are held to high industry practices, accountability and standards,” the group said in its sustainability report. This “exciting initiative” will be launched in 2011, the group said without giving details. The program is still under development, a spokeswoman for the group said.

"CEA and its members are committed to the recycling of electronics in a way that maximizes the recovery of resources and ensures responsible recycling of products,” Walter Alcorn, CEA’s vice president for environmental affairs, told us by e-mail. “This happens most efficiently when CE manufacturers, retailers, recycling partners and local and state governments work together.” To accomplish that CEA is “working on a program that will bring together eCycling stakeholders nationwide to highlight existing opportunities and bolster infrastructure as needed,” he said.

While state mandates are driving responsible management of e-waste, many CE companies are “moving beyond compliance programs and are incorporating recycling and take-back initiatives into their core business models,” the report said. Such voluntary initiatives give companies a “competitive edge” by boosting their brand “reputation” and creating new business opportunities, it said. Citing the R2 and e-Stewards as programs that promote safe recycling practices, the CEA said the industry supports the “movement toward third-party recycler certification and encourages consumers to choose electronics recyclers that are certified by a credible program."

Due to efforts by CE makers to improve the efficiency of materials used in their products, the average weight of CE products has declined since 2008, the report said. Known as “dematerialization,” the trend results in products consuming fewer resources, requiring less energy to transport, and making it easier to recycle at the end of life, the report said. The “outlier” is LCD monitors over 19 inches, which have increased in weight since 2008 “due to larger monitors becoming popular,” it said. In the area of emissions reductions, the ten largest CE companies by global revenue have “pledged ambitious absolute” greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets even as their electricity use has increased due to “increased demand for consumer electronics,” the CEA said.