The Thai Industrial Standard Institute (“TISI”) is drafting a standard regarding the use of certain hazardous substances in certain categories of electronic products (the “Thai RoHS Standard”). The draft Thai RoHS Standard is expected to be promulgated in the next few months.

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A consolidated Senate bill that would change the existing law to ban all imports of hazardous wastes has passed the Senate and is now in committee in the Colombian Chamber of Deputies. As previously reported, the current Bill 37/06 is an amalgam of three hazardous waste bills presented in 2006 in response to a local controversy over import of spent batteries for recycling. If the Bill now passes the Chamber of Deputies, it would impact how companies manage their end-of-life hazardous products in Colombia.

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A new battery labeling and take-back bill was presented in Brazil's Chamber of Deputies (Bill 2882/08 or the "Bill"). For now, the Bill has been annexed to the National Solid Waste Policy initiative for joint consideration. The introduction of this measure comes at a time when CONAMA is debating final modifications to its own battery resolution. Batteries, it seems, continue to be on the agenda for Brazilian legislators and regulators, alike.

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On March 17, 2008, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced that it will expand its current recycling activities by launching an electronics recycling pilot program. Through the program, consumers can recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges for free through the U.S. mail.

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Mexico’s Secretary of the Environment (SEMARNAT) recently posted a draft National Program for the Prevention and Integral Management of Wastes (the Waste Program) for public comment. The lengthy proposal sets out concepts, strategies, action plans and timetables for achieving a broad range of objectives related to waste management. Few of its provisions specifically discuss e-wastes, although many of its proposals, if implemented, could affect e-waste management in Mexico.

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As reported, Argentina's Secretariat of the Environment (SAyDS) held a major national seminar on Sustainable Management of WEEE in late March of this year. A representative of the Environment Committee in the federal Senate made a presentation on the current state of several WEEE bills before the legislature. According to that presentation, only one bill, Bill 4938-D-2007 in the Chamber of Deputies, is currently viable. (See Link below for discussion of that bill.) With this information, EIATRACK members may be better poised to focus their government relations efforts in Argentina.

For more information on EIATRACK, go to http://www.eiatrack.org/ or contact Andrew Kurtzman.

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