Electronic waste recycling program falls short of lawmaker's expectations

Contractors responsible for recycling government computers and other electronic equipment aren't held accountable to certification standards and environmental regulations, according to the leader of a House oversight committee.

In letters last week to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and General Services Administration chief Martha Johnson, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., expressed concern that the two agencies aren't doing enough to ensure the safe disposal of old computers and other equipment used by the government.

"I am concerned that the [GSA Federal Supply Schedule] does not adequately direct agencies toward companies with the highest e-waste recycling standards," Towns wrote. "I am also concerned that there may be a lack of direct oversight of e-waste recycling to ensure proper waste handling."

According to the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, computer hardware has an average lifespan of seven years, but federal equipment typically is recycled after just three years. The government disposes of an estimated 500,000 computers annually. A 2008 Government Accountability Office audit found, despite EPA regulations, the companies responsible for e-waste often export electronics to developing countries, which dispose of them in unsafe conditions.

EPA has developed a responsible recycling, or R2, certification process for the safe disposal of e-waste. But only two of the 60 waste recycling contractors on GSA's Schedule 899-5 meet the R2 criteria, according to Towns.

He asked EPA for details on its plan to enforce recycling regulations and for more information about audits and inspections of e-waste recyclers. Towns asked GSA to explain the criteria used to select recycling contractors and whether it plans to issue new guidance for safe disposal certification.

GSA last week announced a new push for sustainability programs governmentwide in an effort to eliminate agencies' carbon footprint. According to Johnson, no specific programs have been established, but IT initiatives such as data center consolidation, smart building technology, virtual workplaces and reduced computing power all offer ways to build sustainability.

The committee requested responses from both GSA and EPA by May 18, after which it will determine the next step, according to a staffer. Representatives from both agencies confirmed they had received the letters.