DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive
Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2007 16:17:06 -0500
Reply-To: Ralph Stuart <rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Ralph Stuart <rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu>
Subject: Impact of Europe's e-Waste Rules Felt Worldwide
I thought that this article from Environmental Resource Center Env
Tip of the Week newsletter would be of interest to DCHAS members...
- Ralph
Impact of Europe's e-Waste Rules Felt Worldwide
Recently, the European Union adopted some of the worldís strictest
policies on e-waste and potentially hazardous chemicals. Economic and
environmental effects of the new regulations will be felt far beyond
Europe, says Stacy D. VanDeveer, a visiting fellow at the Watson
Institute. VanDeveer co-authored an article on the policies this
month in the journal Environment with Henrik Selin, an assistant
professor of international relations at Boston University. The
article, titled "Raising Global Standards," analyzes the ripple
effect that is likely to touch electronics manufacturers and chemical
companies worldwide.
http://www.watsoninstitute.org/pubs_news/environment.pdf
In particular, three recent E.U. environmental policies are gradually
being implemented across the 27 European Union member nations. Two e-
waste directives, adopted in 2003, require manufacturers to dispose
of consumersí used electronic equipment free of charge, and prohibit
the export of hazardous waste to developing countries for disposal.
This week a new regulation, titled REACH (registration, evaluation,
and authorization of chemicals) was adopted, requiring registration
and selective evaluation of more than 30,000 existing chemical
substances, as well as new ones.
The rules affect products including household appliances, toys,
computers, and many others. ìThe e-waste problem has grown
dramatically,î said VanDeveer, ìas hundreds of millions of cell
phones, TVs, computers, and other electronic products containing a
host of hazardous substances are consumed and discarded in the United
States and around the globe.î
The European Union policies are controversial. On the one hand, the
rules address growing concern about the ecological and human health
risks posed by discarded chemicals and electrical and electronic
products. But critics in U.S. government and industry point to the
potential for billions of dollars of costs and jobs lost.
VanDeveer and Selin argue that most firms operate in multiple markets
and prefer to produce their products to as few different standards as
possible. They often follow the highest regulatory standard, rather
than trying to cope with different manufacturing processes for
different markets. As a result, if a U.S. company, such as Hewlett-
Packard or Dell, needs to redesign its laptops or substitute
chemicals used in production to meet E.U. standards, they are likely
to make the same changes in laptops made and bought outside the
European Union.
The size of the European market (more than 485 million citizens) will
push manufacturers in the United States and Asia to meet European
standards and will increase the availability of ìgreenî products
globally, contend the authors. Additionally, the new toxic risk
information generated by REACH may allow environmental advocates in
the United States and elsewhere to focus their efforts with specific,
supportable data.
In the 1970s and í80s, the United States effectively set many global
product standards for consumer and environmental protection. Today,
Europe is playing this role, while U.S. government and industry
oppose the resulting standards in Europe and in international arenas.
Critics of the European Unionís policies project costs in the
billions of dollars, while defenders argue that any increased costs
incurred by manufacturers have previously been borne by consumers,
the environment, and waste contractors handling thousands of toxic
substances.
In this complicated arena, there is even some discrepancy between the
European Unionís own economic policies and environmental ones, the
article says. VanDeveer and Selin see Europe facing ìthe critical
challenge of formulating and implementing a coherent strategy for
promoting economic growth that is socially and environmentally
sustainable.î As it does, the authors conclude, the rest of the world
should take note.
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