1996 Electronics Industry Environmental Roadmap - Civil and ...

Disposition
5.4.2 Recycled Material Market Immaturity
A key force that could drive the development of new technology and improved collection
systems would be the expansion of markets for products having recycled content or for the resale
of recovered materials. In the history of other recyclable materials, one early impetus to the
increased acceptance of recycled products was preferential purchasing policies that favored
recycled goods. These kinds of purchasing preferences can significantly accelerate the market.
Recent excitement about low-cost “Internet terminals” may also increase a secondary market for
lower function equipment. With proper marketing, used equipment could be marketed into this
product niche.
Markets for recycled products also need to be encouraged. The fact that a piece of equipment is
refurbished, or contains recycled contents, should not result in a perception of inferior quality.
One might look to the automatic teller machine (ATM) as a model for the disposition of all
electronic products. Approximately 97% of all ATMs are refurbished, recycled, or reused in
some way. The majority of ATM parts are reusable, such that a 15-year old machine retains
approximately 20% of its original value. This is due, in large part, to the design of the product:
the ATM, a commercial product, is designed with reusability and recyclability in mind. The
example of the ATM embodies the major elements needed for an effective PELM system. There
is high market acceptance of refurbished systems, and the ATM is designed to accommodate a
closed-loop recycling system, which is frequently promoted as the most economical approach.
5.4.3 Lack of Data
A critical need in establishing an effective disposition system is a base of reliable information
about electronic products entering the disposition system. Such information includes the value of
constituent materials, risks associated with materials, liabilities associated with use, market
demand for spare parts or supply, and a variety of other information requirements. There is a
need for significant improvements in data and data access to support decision-making in PELM,
especially with regard to risk and economics. This would include component and constituent
material inventories for major categories of electronic products, cost data for product
management and disposition, risk assessment data, and other categories of information essential
to effective corporate and public policy decision-making. Related issues are discussed in the
chapter on information and knowledge systems of this roadmap.
5.4.4 Regulatory Issues
The regulations that control the transportation and handling of raw materials headed to
manufacturing can be very different than those that are applied to “waste,” even though they may
be the same material and in the same state as a raw material. As such, some materials that could
be readily recycled are not, due to their classification as hazardous materials. Cathode ray tube
(CRT) glass from the manufacture of monitors and televisions is a notable example. This glass
often fails the TCLP (toxicity characteristic leaching procedure) and is therefore classified as
hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) provisions defined by
the EPA. CRT-funnel materials that are not recycled are RCRA class C materials and must be
pretreated before land disposal can take place. The CRT industry believes the current approved
treatment standard of micro-encapsulation is not optimum for glass materials. Copper-clad
laminate, used to manufacture PWBs, is another example. PWB laminate material is considered
69