 TIA is investing in a number of green initiatives for the electronics industry worldwide. They include EIATRACK, TIA’s global benchmark for environmental intelligence and product-oriented regulatory tracking and analysis, and TIA’s E-cycling Central Web site, with a new state-by-state database of more than 2,000 electronics recycling locations in the United States. TIA is also rallying communications companies around issues related to the greening of technology.
TIA announced its green initiatives at NXTcomm 08 in Las Vegas at a news conference with its Chairman of the Board, Tellabs President and CEO Rob Pullen, and TIA President Grant Seiffert.
“TIA’s investment in green initiatives provides vision and adds value for our members as the ICT industry continues to respond to worldwide environmental and regulatory issues affecting business,” said Seiffert.
The legal expertise provided by EIATRACK is worth millions. The cost of compliance with European regulations alone is estimated to be nearly a trillion dollars. The cost of noncompliance could cost millions – the fines that the EU gives to noncompliant companies can be upwards of $50 million.
EIATRACK features include:
- More than 110 international jurisdictions covered.
- Analysis from world renowned analysts and legal experts.
- Content value of more than $1 million.
E-cycling Central connects both businesses and consumers with programs that accept electronics at the end of their product life cycle, through a free, searchable database sorted by state, ZIP code or national program.
In leading the ICT industry in the greening of technology, TIA is also exploring standardization of data centers to reduce their carbon footprints.
Full information on topics monitored by EIATRACK is available to EIATRACK subscribers. To learn about subscribing, go to www.eiatrack.com.
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Slovenia has implemented the EU Directive on energy-using products (EuPs) by issuing a decree on a framework for the setting of the ecodesign requirements for energy-using products (EuP Decree) and by amending a number of regulations, including the regulation on energy-efficiency requirements for new hot-water boilers fired with liquid or gaseous fuels; the regulation on energy-efficiency requirements for household electric refrigerators, freezers and combinations thereof; and the regulation on energy-efficiency requirements for ballasts for fluorescent lighting. The EuP Decree was adopted on February 25, 2008, and entered into force on March 11, 2008. 
On June 16, 2008, Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder (as acting governor) signed S.B. 720, the Manufacturer Responsibility and Consumer Convenience Equipment Collection and Recovery Act into law. The new law creates a statewide electronics take-back regime that requires manufacturers to implement recovery plans for the collection and recycling of consumer computer materials.
Following an agreement reached with the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament has adopted the revised Waste Framework Directive. This revised directive will have implications for waste electrical and electronic equipment and the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and Battery Directives.
On June 3, 2008, a bill was introduced in the Canadian Senate that would amend the Federal Energy Efficiency Act to allow for future regulation of standby power in electronic equipment. Specifically, the proposed amendments would provide Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) with the ability to regulate standby power in classes of products, a departure from the current individual product regulatory approach. On the day the bill was introduced, the Minister of NRCAN announced his strong support for the proposed amendments, and NRCAN appears poised to develop standby power regulations should the bill make it through the Senate and House of Commons. According to NRCAN, standby power can account for as much as 10 percent of an average household’s annual electricity costs.
In connection with the on-going review of the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive (Directive 2002/96/EC), the European Commission has published comments submitted by stakeholders in response to proposed policy options for possible amendments to the WEEE Directive. As EIATrack reported previously, stakeholders were invited to express their opinion on policy options outlined by the commission, highlighting their pros and cons and the environmental, economic and social impacts they effect. Stakeholders were also asked to comment on (i) the possibility of combining options with a view to achieving the objectives of the review, (ii) ranking of options within each topic, (iii) the additional measures described, and (iv) any additional options and measures the review should consider, in their opinion. Opinions and additional information were accepted until June 5, 2008.
Directive 91/157 on batteries and accumulators containing dangerous substance restrictions has been implemented by the EU member states and constitutes the core of the current regulatory framework for batteries and battery waste at the national level. This directive has been amended and adapted to technical progress two times, by Commission Directive 93/86 and Directive 98/101.