Re: [GreenYes] California E-Waste Bill Fails Producer Responsibility Test

[Helen Spiegelman <hspie@no.address>]

When we were waiting for EPR on HHW to be implemented in British Columbia, 
I was working on the toll-free Recycling Hotline. We worked with local 
governments to give residents the message:

"Hold on to your products until Industry-funded programs are in place"

This was a tough message for people who were in town for three days 
cleaning out their deceased grandfather's shed. Some stuff went to private 
recyclers - for a fee. Some stuff went in the trash (as usual). But some 
stuff stayed in people's garages, where it had been for a long time.

Meanwhile, the message got out to residents: the producers SHOULD be 
providing this service. We encouraged residents to support Industry 
Responsibility in letters to their local governments. Local governments 
passed resolutions at their annual conventions and sent their own letters 
to the provincial government.

Today we have producer-funded and operated programs for HHW -- because we 
refused to let our local governments provide welfare for waste. Once you 
let consumers use the public system for e-waste it will be all the harder 
to shift them to a producer system when the time comes -- which it may not, 
for a long time, because by relieving the pressure (enabling / co-addict 
behaviour!) well-intentioned local governments reduce the political 
pressure for change!


Helen.


At 08:29 AM 09/26/2003 -0700, Sharon_Gates@no.address wrote:
> While I'd be the last to argue that SB 20 is even close to ideal, from my
> perspective in budget-strapped local government, SB 20 is a big step in
> the right direction.  My city (of 425,000) is faced with an unknowable
> quantity of e-waste, which has to be dealt with in a responsible,
> environmentally sound manner.  This while we are curtailing City services
> due to budget constraints.  At least SB 20 will start generating funds to
> pay for some of the cleanup, and get some of the burden off the municipal
> tax- and rate-payers.  Last year we couldn't even get the governor to sign
> a bill like SB 20; maybe next year the legislature will take another step
> toward true producer responsibility.  In the meantime, I've got a couple
> of hundred thousand residents with TVs to get rid of.
>
> Sharon Gates
> Recycling Specialist
> City of Long Beach, California
> 562/570-4694