GAO Report on Environmentally Sound E-Waste Recycling Options

In this report from the U.S. government, the GAO examines the EPA’s efforts to date to recycle electronic waste, and lays out recommendations for further reducing the environmental and health impacts of discarded electronics.

From the introduction to the report:

EPA’s efforts to facilitate the environmentally sound management of used electronics consist largely of:

1) enforcing its rule for the recycling and exporting of cathode-ray tubes (CRT), which contain significant quantities of lead, and

2) an array of partnership programs that encourage voluntary efforts among manufacturers and other stakeholders.

EPA has improved enforcement of export provisions of its CRT rule, but issues related to exports remain. In particular, EPA does not specifically regulate the export of many other electronic devices, such as cell phones, which typically are not within the regulatory definition of hazardous waste despite containing some toxic substances.

In addition, the impact of EPA’s partnership programs is limited or uncertain, and EPA has not systematically analyzed the programs to determine how their impact could be augmented.