1996 Electronics Industry Environmental Roadmap - Civil and ...

Disposition
Additionally, it does not recommend pilot projects to test the beliefs in the state or county,
calculate the value of reclaimed materials, forecast future values based on content or prior
experience, or analyze the overall environmental benefit. To date, the Minnesota Legislature has
not taken any action on the report, although an initial draft of a future bill has been prepared.
New Jersey: The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has proposed a
demanufacturing system with the goal of reducing heavy metals (cadmium, lead, and mercury) in
the solid-waste stream in order to improve the characteristics of MSW residual incinerator ash.
In New Jersey, the proposed initial short-list of products includes: batteries, both rechargeable
and mercury oxide; mercury-containing lamps; mercury switches, including thermostats; and
consumer electronics and appliances including the thermoplastic housings. It is estimated that
source-separation programs for these few categories of products can reduce the cadmium, lead,
and mercury content of MSW by over 90%.
The Office of the NJDEP Commissioner started an initiative in April 1994 when it announced
plans for establishing the collection of selected materials that could form the basis for reducing
heavy metals in the waste stream. Programs for collection of rechargeable batteries, mercurybearing
switches, fluorescent bulbs, and CRTs were to be created. The state has chosen to
encourage the counties to implement collection and consumer electronic demanufacturing
programs involving consumer and/or MSW source separation, storage, and processing. Three
counties have contacted the NJDEP to seek guidance for locally developed programs. One has
asked for expressions of interest to manage an estimated 5,300 annual tons of electronic material.
It had collected and managed over 115 tons of hazardous materials in six collection days in 1994.
The same county estimates it generates 440 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year from its
state-of-the-art waste-to-energy co-generation facility.
NJDEP has offered to give appropriate guidance on permitting and funding programs and to
cooperate with the counties to achieve cost savings for the total cost of its MSW processing
operation. The state is encouraging public-private partnerships, which lend expertise in specific
material handling to the MSW systems. However, all responsibility for MSW management is
vested in the MSW District, which is free under state guidance to establish creative programs to
achieve its goals. The state has also created an analysis of the cost factors involved in total MSW
processing as a part of the environmental justification. Similarly, the state has analyzed the
MSW emissions and releases and other environmental effects of the proposed program
components.
The demanufacturing system would operate as a public-private partnership, accepting electronic
products from industrial, commercial, and residential sources. County authorities would collect
electronic appliances from households and bring them to a demanufacturing facility for disassembly
and processing into usable components. The proposed demanufacturing system (including
collection) would be funded through the avoided costs of managing heavy metals in incinerator
ash [28].
To facilitate the collection, storage, and transport of electronics, New Jersey proposes to ease
regulatory restrictions. In cases where the manufacturer does not relinquish ownership of a
product within the demanufacturing process, the NJDEP has determined that this equipment can
be managed as a product, not a waste. The NJDEP will adopt the new Universal Waste Rule
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