End-of-Life Electronics Conferences Highlight Plastics

Transcription

1 Vol. 6 Keeping you informed of the latest developments in plastics from end-of-life electronics SUMMER 2003 End-of-Life Electronics Conferences Highlight Plastics The American Plastics Council recently helped sponsor and presented papers at three environmental conferences the Society of Plastics Engineers' 9th Annual Global Plastics Environmental Conference, or GPEC 2003 (Feb , Detroit, Michigan); the Association of Plastics Manufactures in Europe's IdentiPlast 2003 (Apr , Brussels, Belgium); and the IEEE's International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment & Electronics Recycling Summit, or ISEE & SUMMIT 2003 (May 19-22, Boston, Massachusetts). Over the years, these conferences have provided leading-edge information on environmental, economic and technical challenges and opportunities associated with plastics recovery from end-oflife electronics. This year's meetings were no exception. The following briefly Table of Contents Page End-of-Life Electronics Conferences Highlight Plastics...1 & 5 Deca-BDE in Electronics Seen in New Light...1 & 5 touches on a few of the main themes covered at this year's conferences. Decabromodiphenyl Ether or Deca-BDE is a flame retardant used in plastics employed in the manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment. In April 2003, the peer consultation panel convened under EPA s pilot Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP) reviewed this chemical. While the peer consultation process is not a consensus-based process, the scientists who sat on the panel generally agreed that, because of its "poor solubility and limited exposure routes," Deca-BDE does not appear to pose a significant risk to children or adults. How Are End-of-Life Electronics Managed in the U.S.?....2 Electronic Equipment Manufacturers Continue Exploring Collection Options...3 Solutions for Plastics from End-of-Life Televisions...4 Bytes and Pieces...4 Calendar of Upcoming Events...5 The VCCEP is a voluntary chemical evaluation program pilot developed in 2000 by the U.S. Environmental APC s Mike Fisher speaking at IdentiPlast in Brussels. All three conferences included papers on mechanical recycling, feedstock recycling and energy recovery. Similarly, each conference addressed technology to process electronic shredder residue as well as plasticplastic separation technology. The jury appears to be out on the question of dismantling versus shredding, but regardless of the initial demanufacturing step, econom- Continued on page 5 Deca-BDE in Electronics Seen in New Light Protection Agency (EPA) to help assess potential risk to children from exposure to certain chemicals. Through the program, more than 35 chemical manufacturers are voluntarily presenting risk assessment data on 20 commercial chemicals. This data is then evaluated by specially-convened Peer Consultation Groups managed by Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment ( using a science-based review process. The VCCEP uses a three-tier approach to evaluate data, with EPA deciding at the end of each tier whether more data is needed to further understand the potential risks associated with a given chemical. After the first tier examination of Deca-BDE, members of the VCCEP's Peer Consultation Group believed that Deca-BDE does not pose enough of a risk, even at extreme high-end dose estimates, to warrant collecting additional data. This finding which is a non-binding recommendation to EPA that will be made public should provide comfort to manufacturers and recyclers of electronic equipment Continued on page 5

2 Page 2 How Are End-of-Life Electronics Managed in the U.S.? A Growing Number of Databases Can Help Find Answers The message has been heard loud and clear: Electronics contain valuable materials that can and should be recovered. As a result, more end-of-life electronics collection programs are coming online each year. But where do unwanted electronics go after collection? The answer to that question is: It depends. The markets into which old electronics and their constituent parts and materials can go vary according to the quantities available, their condition, the degree of processing they require, and the point of collection. Fortunately, as the number of electronics collection programs increases, so does the number of resources available to assist collectors. For instance, some databases are designed specifically to help smaller generators typically homeowners and small businesses find local and regional reuse and recycling options. Two great examples are the Electronic Industries Alliance's Consumer Education Initiative at and the National Recycling Coalition's Database of Recyclers at Larger generators, such as municipal collectors and large businesses, require a different kind of market and, hence, a different kind of resource. Two databases more suited to generators of considerable quantities of whole electronic products are the International Association of Electronics Recyclers' Industry Directory at and the Directory of the North American Electronics Recycling Industry, published by E-Scrap News ( or These databases one available electronically and the other in print list mostly companies that provide specific recycling services, such as disassembling electronic products into component parts and discrete material streams. American Plastics Council's Recycled Plastics Markets Database at Resource Recycling's Scrap Plastics Markets Directory ( ), and The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers' Index of Materials Purchased by APR Members at It makes sense that these resources concentrate primarily on packaging resins, which have been the focus of most residential and commercial collection efforts for a number of years. It is expected, however, that as more electronics are collected and disassembled into discrete materials streams, new or expanded electronic plastic databases will be developed. Until then, demanufacturers can explore waste exchanges as an option. Two examples the Southern Waste Information Exchange ( and the Recycler's Exchange (www. recycle.net/recycle /plastic) allow organizations to list plastics they want to sell by resin type and/or plastics they want to buy. Where the two meet, a market is created. All of the resources mentioned in this article, as well as others that may be available, are intended to help facilitate the movement of end-of-life electronics and electronic materials so they can be put to their highest and best end-use. Demanufacturers, or organizations that disassemble end-of-life electronics, have fewer databases available to them. For example, if a demanufacturer wants to know where to market plastics from end-of-life electronics, its choices are limited. Why? Because most existing databases are designed for post-consumer commodity-grade plastics (from bottles, containers and film), as opposed to post-use engineering-grade plastics (from electronics). Three such databases are:

3 Page 3 Electronic Equipment Manufacturers Continue Exploring Collection Options Realizing there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all collection program, electronics manufacturers continue to devise and evaluate different collection strategies, looking for the one that works best for them and their customers. Following are descriptions of some of the newer or modified strategies being explored. Menu of Options Dell Computer Corporation has created a menu of collection options from which consumers can choose ( They can (1) ship unwanted electronics back to Dell, (2) donate them through the National Cristina Foundation, (3) request home pickup (a new option launched in March 2003), or (4) bring them to one of many free, oneday collection events taking place across the United States. Depending on the option selected, customers may receive $10 off their next online purchase of computers and peripherals or, with home pickup, will be charged a $15 fee to help cover costs. Either way, the Dell program is designed for maximum customer flexibility, and it appears to be working. At a recent Dell-sponsored affair in the Denver area, 200 tons of computer scrap were collected from more than 2,000 residents an unofficial record for a one-day collection event. Incentive Strategies Hewlett Packard continues to have success with its incentive-based program. When HP customers return end-of-life computer hardware, they receive a $50 coupon toward the online purchase of new products. This effort is working so well that HP extended its coupon program from April 30 to October 31, (For more information on HP's Planet Partners e-coupon program, go to environment/recycle/ecoupon.html). Collaborative Efforts Panasonic ( Sharp ( and Sony ( have all been working jointly with Envirocycle ( an e-scrap processor and leaded glass-to-glass recycler, to encourage the recovery of end-of-life electronics. During 2002, the three electronic equipment manufacturers underwrote the costs of handling branded materials at 67 one-day collection events in 11 different states. Through this collaborative, 750 tons of electronic materials have been collected and recycled. JVC Americas ( recently joined the effort. Charitable Contributions In April 2003, Staples ( a major retailer of office supplies, announced two new chainwide programs through which its customers can recycle used cell phones, PDAs, pagers and rechargeable batteries. When customers drop off used electronics at their local Staples store, these items are shipped to CollectiveGood ( a mobile electronics recycling company, or the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation ( A portion of the proceeds generated from recycling the products is donated to the Sierra Club to help support environmental education and conservation programs. Shipping Assistance Micron, a producer of high-end computers, recently launched a collection effort in which customers can purchase UPS ground shipping labels to use in returning unwanted desk tops, notebooks, servers, monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines and other peripherals ( Consumers ship their end-of-life electronics to Resource Concepts, Inc. ( a Dallas, Texas company, which provides asset recovery and disposal services. Epson operates a similar program in which customers use an online service to order a special shipping package for returning and recycling used Epson products ( The service costs $10, but a $5 coupon is offered to offset the cost of future purchases. These are just some of the many collection strategies being explored by electronics manufacturers and retailers so that the electronics they make and sell can be managed in responsible ways.

4 Page 4 Solutions for Plastics from End-of-Life Televisions: Minnesota/EPA Region 5 Plastics Project Continues Last year, Plastics from Electronics Update reported on a grant provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 ( to the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (MOEA). The goal of the grant was to determine the feasibility of recycling old television housings into new television housings. To carry out the grant, project partners needed to: (1) Identify and recruit regional suppliers of black high impact polystyrene (HIPS). (2) Identify a plastics processor capable of putting the recovered plastics into a form suitable to an end-user. (3) Test the plastic to determine its performance characteristics. Sony Electronics, Inc., agreed to use the material for a minimum of twelve to beighteen months if it met their specifications. After some delays, the project is again making progress. The MOEA ( has identified several suppliers in Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, but it continues to look for additional generators of black HIPS throughout the region. (Please contact Tina Patton with MOEA at if your company is interested in becoming a supplier.) The MOEA also received eleven proposals from plastics processors and selected Talco Plastics (Corona, California) as the vendor best suited to the project. (Sony also ranked Talco Plastics proposal highest.) Talco will process the material it receives from project suppliers and send it to Sony for evaluation. In order to be used, the processed materials must meet Sony's strict quality standards. In a more recent development, nxtcycle ( an electronics waste recycling company based in Phoenix, Arizona, has expressed interest in joining the project as a potential consolidator of plastics. The idea for consolidating materials from small generators at a central point came about after project partners determined it was not economically feasible to ship whole plastics parts from multiple Midwest generators to the west coast. While nothing is set in stone yet, the project is moving forward. Potential project partners continue to weigh the costs and benefits of being involved, and project managers continue to push to meet fastapproaching deadlines. The grant, which originally was scheduled to end in November 2002, has been extended to November At that time, EPA Region 5 and the MOEA hope to have more answers about whether it is feasible to produce new television housings with black HIPS from old televisions. For more information about the project, contact Tina Patton (MOEA) at or Jason Swift (EPA Region 5) at Bytes and Pieces The American Electronics Association, along with law firm Allen and Overy, has published a guide to help electronics manufacturers in the United States comply with new European Union directives ( According to a recent survey conducted by the International Association of Electronics Recyclers ( the e-scrap industry will increase four to five times by the end of the decade. The survey also indicates there are more than 400 electronics recyclers in operation in the U.S., processing more than 750,000 tons of scrap per year. American Commodities ( received an award for environmental stewardship at the Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC) 2003 for developing and commercializing a process for recovering multi-layer laminated plastics and foam assemblies. A number of organizations including the American Plastics Council, DEER2, the Electronic Industries Alliance, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the International Association of Electronics Recyclers, and the Polymer Alliance Zone have formed a new group called the Electronics Recycling Collaboration Network (ERCN). The founding organizations have agreed to work together to help build a more efficient and effective infrastructure for electronics recycling (

5 Page 5 End-of-Life Electronics Conferences Highlight Plastics Continued from page 1 ically and environmentally sound technologies for recovering plastics are being actively explored in the United States, Europe and Japan. Another common theme among the conferences was the application of eco-balance, eco-efficiency or energy balance calculations to demonstrate which recovery strategies are sustainable. Results appear to vary by region, but differences are not great among recovery options. An ISEE paper by EPA researchers demonstrating that energy recovery from end-of-life electronics can be safely practiced received considerable attention. Boliden provided a similar perspective for electrical and electronic plastics in it s metal smelting operations. The conferences also addressed the use of brominated flame retardants in electronic plastics and their potential effects on health, safety and the environment, including recycling. (See related article on page 1.) A final theme examined new bioderived polymers and their developing potential in both packaging and durables applications. The ISEE & SUMMIT deserves a special mention for its up-to-date coverage of recent White House and federal agency electronics activities (Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC), Basel Mobile Phone Initiative, OECD activities around sustainability, NEPSI, DEER2, etc.) and the Stakeholders Dialogue on Recycling Engineering Plastics that was held of the last day of the conference. This is perhaps the only multi-stakeholder forum in the U.S. focused on the recycling of engineering plastics. Future plans for this initiative include publishing the Recycled Material Guidelines through ISRI, exploring recycling content issues with UL, providing technical assistance to FEC, and preparing a Market Development Forum summary report. During the Stakeholders Dialogue, MBA Polymers reported that it is working on a new, lower cost "packaged plant concept" for the processing of plastics from end-of-life electronics. Calendar of Events National Recycling Coalition's Annual Congress & Exposition September 14-17, 2003 Baltimore, MD International Electronics Recyclers Institute's (IERI) Electronics Recycling Education Program September 17-18, 2003 Albany, NY E-Scrap 2003 October 22-23, 2003 Orlando, FL International Electronics Recycling Congress January 14-16, 2004 Basel, Switzerland CORRECTION: In the last issue, we mistakenly listed the IdentiPlast Conference as occurring in August 2003; it should have been April We apologize for any inconvenience. Deca-BDE in Electronics Seen in New Light Continued from page 1 containing plastics with Deca-BDE. Already such findings have helped to shape a legislative debate in California over alleged environmental and health impacts of products containing polybrominated diphenyl ether compounds (PBDEs). As originally drafted, AB 302 called for a complete phaseout of all PBDEs. However, instituting a ban on Deca-BDE and Deca-PBDE containing products would have hindered the ability to recycle plastics from computers and other electric and electronic equipment since many of these products manufactured today will likely be in the stream of commerce for years to come. As a result of this and other information, the California Legislature removed Deca-PBDE from the phaseout bill. During the peer consultation, Marcia Hardy, senior toxicology adviser with Albemarle Corporation, reminded observers that Deca-BDE is a very effective flame retardant intended to prevent fires a real and specific threat to child safety. For more information on VCCEP and the process being used to evaluate select chemicals, go to

6 Page 6 Pass It On If you know of someone interested in learning more about managing end-of-life electronics and you think they would like to receive Plastics from Electronics Update, please help us reach them. You can forward their contact information including name, title, phone number, address and address to the American Plastics Council at electronics@plastics.org. Or, have them contact us directly. You can also write to electronics@plastics.org to remove your name from our mailing list. Comments Please Share your thoughts on Plastics From Electronics Update and suggest topics you d like to see covered in future issues by ing us at electronics@plastics.org Plastics From Electronics Update American Plastics Council 1300 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA Recycling facilities or programs may not be available in all areas. Check to see if recycling exists in your area. The National Recycling Coalition, Inc. has a National Database of Electronics Recyclers, Reuse Organizations, and Municipal Programs available online at resources/ electronics/search/getlisting.php. The database is searchable by state and zip code. See also the Electronic Industries Alliance s Consumer Educational Initiative database at American Plastics Council 1300 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA Plastics from Electronics Update