E-waste is the fastest-growing category of solid waste. It’s a tsunami that’s gathering momentum, directly in step with the rapid innovation in consumer and industrial electronics that we witness every year. How big? Well, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just added the disposal of e-waste to the list of the agency’s top four environmental priorities. It’s right alongside issues such as climate change, air quality and access to clean water.

As a nation and as a planet we have to solve the e-waste problem. We’ve been trying; here in California we have the SB20/SB50 e-waste take-back legislation that restricts what can be dumped into landfills, and provides a mechanism for diverting CRTs from the e-waste stream. Other states have taken differing approaches to address the e-waste problem. These are all steps in the right direction.

But they are not enough. State programs are a patchwork quilt of different approaches. Industry “best practices” aren’t clearly defined. The high cost of recycling is perpetuating shipment of e-waste overseas. And, worse, consumers are still confused about what can/should be recycled, and where to take it.

We think there’s huge room for improvement. We believe that by working together, we can address this challenge and provide a solution for households and businesses that is free, convenient, safe for the environment, and secure.

That’s why, today, we’re launching ecollective. The ecollective initiative aims to provide a convenient consumer drop-off location within 10 miles of most households in the United States for safe and secure recycling of electronics. For industry participants, it provides a framework that makes it possible for us all collaborate and make e-waste recycling dramatically easier for consumers.

We’ve set four top-line goals for the program:

1. Educate through awareness. Through integrated public outreach, marketing and advertising, we will help consumers understand what e-waste is and why its proper disposal is so important to our communities, our country, and our planet.
2. Provide a choice. By giving consumers a choice to do the right thing with their e-waste, and convenient locations to choose from, we can move e-waste from homes and businesses — and away from landfills.
3. Foster best practices. ecollective is designed from the ground up to ensure that all e-waste material is handled by a recycling company dedicated to environmental integrity and data security. We want to partner with industry stakeholders who share that vision.
4. Make it a “win” for everyone. Consumers have a convenient and safe place to recycle, local businesses thrive, stakeholders have a practical solution for their e-waste requirements, and together we divert deadly material from our landfills.

We’ve designed ecollective with clear integration points so that industry stakeholders — collectors, electronics manufacturers, retailers, and city municipalities — can accomplish the goals, objectives and requirements for their respective e-waste take-back programs.

Read the press release for more about the ecollective initiative.

This month, we’re introducing our industry partners to the ecollective initiative. Next month, we’ll launch it to consumers and businesses.

We invite you to join us now and make ecollective the best program for e-waste recycling.

In an upcoming post, I’ll talk more about how ecollective can directly help any companies, organizations, and municipalities that handle e-waste.

To give you an idea of what we have in mind, watch this video:

Publication Date: 8/31/2010