ToxicWaste
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European Union retailers to be required to accept e-waste without charge, says Parliament
Not sure what to do with your old, outdated electronics? If you live within the European Union, getting rid of your e-waste may soon be as easy as dropping by the local electronics shop. In an effort to increase electronic waste collection from four kilograms per capita to 20, the European Parliament has approved plans that would require electronic retailers with a retail space of 400 square meters or larger to accept e-waste for disposal, free of charge. The new rules will be implemented over the next seven years, and are part of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive -- a measure that also aims to limit illegal e-waste exports to developing countries. Between keeping your house uncluttered with old gadgets and keeping developing nations clean, what's not to like?
Greenpeace and Apple: Can you feel the love tonight?
Environmental activist group Greenpeace and Apple haven't exactly been good buddies in the past. For example, in the past Greenpeace slammed Apple with a mock Apple website, had fig-leaf clad representatives visit the first Apple Store in continental Europe, and "greened" the flagship Apple Store in San Francisco. Radical representatives of the group had been ejected from MacExpo London in 2006 for being disruptive, and Greenpeace had assigned Apple low scores in a 2006 e-waste report. Apparently, the greens and the geeks have kissed and made up, since Apple was ranked #1 in the top 18 consumer electronics company in terms of reduction or elimination of hazardous chemicals in the manufacture of its products. As seen in the Greenpeace table on the next page, Apple was squeaky-clean across its product line, including desktop and laptop computers, phones, and monitors:
Dell bans export of e-waste to developing countries
Dell -- which scored pretty poorly in the latest Greenpeace report -- has just officially adopted a ban of the export of e-waste as part of its policy. The company, which also has a recycling program, says it's been holding its partners to high standards for several years, but has revised its policy to conform to the Basel Convention, an international treaty that governs e-waste handling. E-waste is growing, toxic problem in developing countries like China and Ghana.
