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A bill recently introduced in Washington state could lead to a key piece of legislation to address the growing problem of electronic waste. Washington state's House Bill 1942, titled "Regulating Electronic Waste," includes many features similar to early versions of the European Union's recently passed Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive.
A public hearing will be held concerning this bill on Friday, Feb. 28 in Olympia, Wash. Washington state remanufacturers are being notified of this hearing and encouraged to attend on behalf of the industry.
The bill, introduced to the House of Representatives on Feb. 17, was referred to the Fisheries, Ecology and Parks Committee. The committee is chaired by Representative Mike Cooper, who is also the bill's prime sponsor.
The current version of the bill provides for producers of electronic waste to plan and be responsible for the waste's end-of-life disposal. The bill encourages "environmentally friendly" products, including those "that contain recycled or remanufactured parts, that are designed for easy disassembly and recycling, that are easy to upgrade or reuse, and that are designed for a longer life."
There are several areas where lobbying on behalf of the remanufacturing industry could help include more of our industry concerns in the bill. For example, remanufacturing could be more clearly defined – the current bill language doesn't clarify how it is different than recycling or reuse. Also, the list of products that the bill covers includes printers and computer peripherals, but does not clearly say that printer cartridges are included.
In addition, language similar to the WEEE Directive's Article 4a could be added to the bill to help prevent impediments to reuse and remanufacturing.
While it may take up to two years for the bill to make its way through the committee and to face a legislative vote, the Feb. 28 hearing could be key in including support for remanufacturing interests as early in the process as possible.
For more information on the bill, visit the Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation or the Washington State Legislature site.
For a sample letter of support, Washington state remanufacturers can contact Recharger Magazine at info@rechargermag.com or (702) 438-5557.
