E-Wasted Time: The Hazardous Lag in Comprehensive Regulation of the Electronics Recycling Industry in the United States

The emergent problem of how to recycle or dispose of the vast quantity of electronics being discarded in the United States has eluded systematic regulation, which has fomented diverse responses within both the public and private sectors. These responses have had wide-ranging, even contradictory effects, such as environmental degradation and creative entrepreneurship, in the US and abroad. 

This paper seeks to address the status of electronics recycling regulation in the US, as well as how this regulatory climate influences industry practice.

First, the evolution of the US regulatory response to the electronics recycling industry is discussed, with attention paid to evidence of self-, state and federal regulations.  A case study on Tucson, Arizona follows, describing the networks through which used electronics flow in and through the city. 

The conclusion provides a forecast for the regulation of electronic waste processing in the US, and calls for a more comprehensive approach to managing the life cycle of these materials.

This paper was selected as the winner of the 2009 Lillian S. Fisher Prize in Environmental Law and Public Policy, administered by the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona.