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CHAPTER

Current Initiatives

and Standards

t wasn’t really treasure that was sunken in that Minnesota lake, but something was
down there. In the spring of 2006, discarded computer monitors started bobbing to the
Isurface of Rice Lake and then washing ashore. By the fall, authorities had collected
64 monitors and other e-waste that had been criminally dumped into the lake. The notion
of a monitor popping up next to your fishing boat can be comical, until you consider what’s
involved.
In this case, computer monitors pollute with mercury, cadmium, and lead. Other forms
of e-waste—discarded central processing units, batteries, cellular telephones, and so forth—
contribute those toxins and many others that can be released into our environment if
improperly disposed of. And it’s that e-waste that poses a threat to the environment, around
the world.
Just like speed limits, how long your grass can grow, and how loud your party can be
before the police arrive, different regions have different requirements for the disposal of
e-waste. Not every country has established rules, but those who do have different rules.
And even within countries, regional differences still occur. For instance, the state of
Massachusetts simply prohibits cathode ray tubes (CRTs) from landfills, whereas Minnesota
requires product manufacturers to have a complex reclamation program in place.

NOTE Legislation in general is a moving target. What is true today will be changed tomorrow. As
such, be sure to check with your national and local rules and laws to see what applies to you.

In this chapter we’ll look at what different countries and different states require for the
disposal of e-waste. Requirements vary drastically, so we’ll also look at worldwide initiatives
to reduce e-waste. We’ll kick off our discussion with an examination of the United Nations
and its efforts to ameliorate the e-waste problem.

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