KEY UNDERSTANDING REACHED AT NEPSI
Electronics industry and state and local regulators reached “key” understanding on financial model for management of used CE products at meeting of National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) Nov. 8-9 in Boston, said regulators involved in initiative. “The significance of last week’s meeting was that the industry agreed to take the focus away from a taxpayer or ratepayer model,” said Sego Jackson, principal planner for Snohomish County, Wash. NEPSI came up with “road map” for agreement to be on table by Sept., said Scott Cassel, dir. of Mass.-based Product Stewardship Institute.
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Govt. official who requested anonymity said industry, although not opposing front-end and back-end models, felt there should be some role for taxpayer dollars in funding and managing mechanism. “But they [industry] have said it’s up to the local governments,” he said.
Jackson, who represents local govts. in NEPSI, said state and local govts. had been concerned about models that would put brunt of financial burden on govts. and taxpayers. “A key understanding” at meeting was that taxpayer or ratepayer model should be taken off table, he said. “A lot of progress” has been made since last meeting in June, Jackson said, because there’s “consistency on the table that it doesn’t make sense to put the burden of management of used electronic products on the taxpayer or ratepayer.” Fear in past has been that local govts. and taxpayers would be stuck with bill, he said: “This is a fairness issue.”
Financial models being considered are front-end model, where cost of waste management and recycling are included in purchase price of CE product, and deposit-fee model, Jackson said. Although he said “a lot more needs to be done” for viable and sustainable model to emerge, he expressed confidence that “complete agreement” would be reached by next Sept. Models being looked at also will involve retailers, recyclers and even charities, he said: “We are looking at a system with a great deal of flexibility.” Saying he was encouraged by progress made at Boston meeting, he said: “A week ago this was unthinkable.”
Jackson said 2 models favored local govts. in that companies would take responsibility for management and recycling of end-of- life products. “This should provide a strong incentive for the industry to design for the environment,” he said. With responsibility for managing end-of-life products, industry would take care to ensure that CE products had fewer toxins, were easy to disassemble and used recycled content, he said. “This a great opportunity for the industry to be real leaders,” he said. Pointing out industry’s aversion to European-style models that “tell them what to do,” Jackson said industry should work to set up “American-style” system.
Cassel said there is “steady progress” toward agreement, although few additions and changes may be needed to “road map” to increase collection, reuse and recycling of used CE products and to develop sustainable financing mechanism.
Cassel said 4 subgroups were formed at Boston meeting to deal with finance, collection, reuse and recycling, regulatory issues and data collection. Finance subgroup, which forms “central” part of NEPSI, discussed 3 systems -- advanced recovery fee, front-end fee and back-end fee. Besides looking at “hypothetical” models focusing on source of funding, management of electronic wastes and developing sustainable mechanisms, ideas also will be drawn from “real-life” models in Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Japan, British Columbia and few models of recovery and recycling of autos and batteries in U.S., he said. NEPSI will meet again in Jan in Fla. and March in Washington, he said. Dates haven’t been finalized. About 25 states and local govts. are involved in NEPSI, which is seeking to reach agreement to avoid patchwork of state and local regulations.