Electronic Waste Best Management Practices
E-waste (electronic waste) presents different challenges than household hazardous waste or solid waste recycling because of its weight, volume, storage needs, and costs. Additionally, e-waste poses a long-term threat to public health and the environment because it is the largest source of heavy metals and organic pollutants in the solid waste stream.
This 2004 report was prepared for the California Integrated Waste Management Board. It includes a guide that is intended to walk Sustainability Officers through the decision-making and implementation tasks in a simple step-by-step format. Topics include:
- Why e-waste is a problem
- What to consider in designing an e-waste program.
- Benefits and barriers to collection models
- How to select an e-waste contractor
- Planning an e-waste event
- E-waste program operations
- Data collection and program evaluation
- Public education and outreach
- What happens to e-waste
This report was developed based on survey responses from local government program officers charged with meeting state mandates for recycling. Many of the needs expressed by respondents will be familiar to Sustainability Officers in other jurisdictions. Although designed for local governments in the State of California, the report presents the information and issues in general language that will be highly useful for communities in other states. The report's structure is highly practical and provides the detail necessary to implement best management practice. For example, the discussion of selecting an E-waste contractor outlines the advantages of an RFP (request for proposal) versus a bid process. Additionally, it identifies issues and conditions important for policymaking including financing, end markets, illegal dumping, and regulatory issues.
The collection, reprocessing, marketing, and use of materials that were diverted or recovered from the solid waste stream.
