Position Statement
Landfills & Electronics Recycling

statement date
November 11, 2004

overview 
Goodwill organizations are faced with the escalating cost to dispose of non-sellable items in landfills.  Landfill costs take away from the resources that our organizations can reinvest in core mission-related services to disadvantaged populations in our respective communities.

The disposal of electronic waste (e-waste), which includes computers, televisions and cell phones, also poses a unique challenge for Goodwill. Hazardous materials found in monitors and television screens require special, costly handling when recycling and disposing.

position
The Council of California Goodwill Industries supports legislation and policies that seek to address the mounting challenges associated with the disposal and management of e-waste.  The Council acknowledges that a number of factors are responsible for and contribute to the complexity of this issue.  Among these factors are the rapid advances in technology, the proliferation and consumption of manufactured disposable consumer electronic equipment and state controls and bans of e-waste in landfills.

The Council seeks to partner with public agencies and manufacturers to establish responsible environmental stewardship policies and effective recycling operations to remove toxic items from our solid waste stream.

discussion
At the national level, the public donated an estimated 884,000 tons of goods to Goodwill in 2001 and roughly 975,000 tons in 2002.  As our generous donor base (which averages 40 pounds per drop-off) continues to grow, the challenge of disposing of non-recyclable and unusable donations in landfills also increases.

The Council acknowledges that electronics recycling is an emerging industry that it is at a critical point in its development, in terms of growth and challenges.  As the production and use of electronics products continues to increase dramatically throughout both the business and public sectors, the challenges of disposal and recovery of materials are becoming significant.

The commercial sector has been recycling electronics for more than 20 years and has been a driving force in creating and growing the electronics recycling industry.  Up until recently, the major sources of electronics products for recycling have been manufacturers and large users.  Although consumers also own vast quantities of electronics products, many have been disposed of in landfills, left unused in storage and/or donated to Goodwill and lateral industry organizations.

At the forefront, the number of televisions and personal computers becoming obsolete or replaced has been increasing significantly and is contributing to the demanding need for recycling consumer electronics.  As such, the disposal of end-of-life electronics products has become a topic of interest and concern worldwide as municipalities face the potential of enormous volumes to handle in the future.

In addition to aggravating the cost and availability of landfills, electronics products contain materials that should not be treated as common waste.  Most, if not all of the materials are recyclable and have reuse value, such as metals and plastics.  There are trace and relatively small quantities of some specific materials that may be potentially hazardous, particularly if they are not disposed of properly.  Among these are lead, mercury and cadmium.

Emerging, for-profit electronics recycling companies specialize in providing services that assure the proper handling and disposal of these materials with the objective of optimizing recycling and reuse.  There are more than 400 companies in the USA that are considered to be electronics recyclers.

Most companies involved with electronics recycling are relatively small and new businesses.  However, there are a number of major recyclers that collectively process a large portion of the industry volume.  In addition to recycling companies, there are some manufacturers/OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and not-for-profit organizations, such as Goodwill, with electronics recycling operations.

The key economic drivers of the electronics recycling industry are the need for a predictable stream of high volume sources and the capital required for automated processes. The future growth and success of the industry will depend on developing an effective and efficient infrastructure for electronics recycling serving all sectors.