E-Waste Working Group Calls on Congress to Recycle or Reuse Old Electronics

In an effort to encourage Congress to lead by example, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) introduced a resolution today that would direct the House and Senate to coordinate its recycling and reuse of obsolete computers and electronic equipment. Thompson, himself a founding member of the E-Waste Working group, was joined by the group's other founding members, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) and Rep. Mary Bono (R-Calif.), in cosponsoring the measure.

"Our ultimate goal is to pass a national plan to address the growing e-waste problem. Each year Americans dispose of 2 million tons of electronics which contain harmful chemicals such as lead and mercury," Thompson said. "Before we can enact a national plan, Congress needs its own plan to properly dispose of its own e-waste. This is an opportunity for Congress to lead by example."

The resolution would express the sense of the Congress that leaders of Congress and other legislative branch offices (Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office, Library of Congress, Architect of the Capitol, etc.) should work together to establish and implement a coordinated program for the reuse, recycling and appropriate disposal of obsolete computers and electronic equipment.

"A patchwork of state and international e-waste laws risk placing our domestic manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage and worsening the environmental consequences of e-waste," Slaughter said. "This resolution is a strong first step towards advancing a national approach to the recycling and reuse of electronic equipment."

"Raising awareness in Congress for the e-waste problem is one of the primary goals of the E-Waste Working Group," said Congressman Cunningham. "I think this resolution will pressure the legislative branch to become more familiar with electronic recycling and once Congress decides to act on electronic waste, it is important for us to show our commitment by practicing our own responsible consumption."

"The potential harm to both the environment and humans from the improper disposal of e-waste is a rapidly growing concern that Congress needs to address," Rep. Bono said. "I am thrilled to work with Congressmen Thompson, Cunningham and Congresswoman Slaughter to address this issue and hope that this working group can set the groundwork for a useful and intelligent conversation on how best to tackle this rising problem."

The average useful life of a computer is only 2 years. Americans dispose of 50 million computers each year or 3,000 tons each day. Each computer contains harmful elements such as lead, cadmium and mercury, which if disposed of improperly can harm people and the environment.

The Congressional E-Waste Working Group was formed in May of 2005 with the goal of exploring national solutions to the burgeoning e-waste problem and educating Members of Congress.