Sony VP presents Sony Reader during congressional hearing

[Alexander Turcic]

Let's face it. While printing less paper is good for the environment, there is still the problem of a skyrocketing number of electronic products discarded every year. According to the EPA, e-waste is now the fastest-growing part of the municipal waste stream. So what to do with your Sony Reader once it has lived past its usefulnes? It's suprisingly simple. Give it back to Sony.

During yesterday's hearing on Capitol Hill, Sony Exec VP Michael T. Williams spoke about the various Sony recycling programs and about how his company is developing environmentally-friendly electronic products. Of course the Reader served as his grand example.

While Sony will recycle its own products for free, our recycling locations will also accept non-Sony consumer electronics and information technology products. To fully carry out this nationwide e-waste take-back program, Sony and Waste Management Recycle America utilize 138 drop-off centers throughout the country. This is an increase from the initial 75. In addition to setting up permanent collection centers, we are also holding recycling events, coordinating with retailers and local municipalities. By the end of this year, we plan to have held at least 50 special recycling events. Our goal is to have 150 drop- off locations throughout the United States, with at least one recycling location in every state by September 2008. Our longer term goal is to have a collection location within 20 miles of 95% of the United States population at which consumers, retailers, and municipalities can have any product from any consumer electronic manufacturer recycled.

Attached you find a summary of Mr. Williams's speech. It's also available online as a RealPlayer video via C-SPAN (starting at around minute 35): rtsp://video.c-span.org/15days/e043008_waste.rm

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

A number of electronics firms make these same claims these days. The problem is, finding one of these recycling centers in the U.S. is still not easy enough for most Americans to want to bother even looking for them. 138 recycle centers, with a goal of 150 nationwide, is a pitifully small number for the U.S.. Ask someone off the street where their nearest drop-off is, and they'll give you a blank look. For that matter, so will most store employees at an electronics chain or reseller.

Real progress in this front would be the creation of drop-off points as ubiquitous as every electronics store in the U.S.... in other words, making the electronics sellers responsible for maintaining prominent drop-off receptacles, and making sure all drive-in disposal/recycling locations have designated electronics drop-off areas (many of them, like my local dropoff center, only accept computers, leaving most other electronics devices to be landfilled).

[eumesmo]

Just strike a deal with Walmart and build the plants near their main warehouses, or perhaps the salvation army, or better yet, the post office, and follow an e-commerce model. Problems is, I doubt most companies would be willing to spend 30% to solve a problem, and in turn augmenting another company's infrastructure, instead of spending 100% to augment its own infrastructure, and bet on the off change that people might just ignore their government imposed solution.

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Real progress in this front would be the creation of drop-off points as ubiquitous as every electronics store in the U.S....

I see some hope on this actually, I've been seeing more and more battery and phone drop points around, apparently done voluntarily, so far as I can tell. Even here in Tennessee, the local Best Buy has one, and so does the Kinkos.

[zelda_pinwheel]

here, there is a box in every grocery store (and many other places as well) where you can put used batteries to be "disposed of properly".

when you buy an electronic device, you pay a very slight "eco" tax (it's usually only a few centimes ; when i bought a refrigerator a couple of years ago i think it might have been about 13€. it shows on the receipt.) which is meant to finance the recycling of it later.

stores which sell electronic devices are obligated to accept old ones to be recycled when you purchase a new one, for no fee. if you have a large item (refrigerator) or several things (like a company getting rid of old computers) you call the city hall and make an appointment for a pickup.

i've never had to do this myself, because so far i've never had an electronic device i couldn't get rid of through some organisation which recuperated them to be rehabilitated (there are lots), or through freecycle ; even my ancient trium telephone whose sim card reader got all was wanted by someone.

despite this though there are many people who don't know or care how to recycle their electronic equipement and don't make the (very slight) effort to find out.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

Let's face it. While printing less paper is good for the environment, there is still the problem of a skyrocketing number of electronic products discarded every year.

Personally, I don't think paper is really an ecological problem. Paper is a renewable resource and is also bio degradable. Remember when McDonalds moved from using the foam/plastic boxes to paper/cardboard boxes.

I really wonder if the manufacture of an eBook really has less of an impact on the environment compare to the use of less paper. Considering the checmical and such used in the production of the reader, and the waste that is produced once it is passed its usefull lifetime.

I guess the "greenness" of a reader also has to factor in the reduction of fossil fuels needed to deliver a physical book. I'm not sure it really is net better.

That said, I don't want to give up my reader. I don't use my reader because I think it is green. I use it because I can carry many books in less space an weight... I can store thousands of books in a much smaller foot print (hard drive, sd card, usb drive) than the many book shelfs I have in my house. Because it is lighter and easier to hold than a real book, etc.

BOb

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Personally, I don't think paper is really an ecological problem.

The paper itself may not be, in terms of disposal... but a lot more energy, resources, and pollution of air and wastewater, go into the production of paper than most people realize. When it is used once, then discarded, that makes paper much less "green" than a single e-book reader, or any other electronic device.

(And let's not try to suggest that McDonald's is somehow "green"... they took that route to save money, nothing more.)

@NatCh: I know our Kinkos have drop-offs for batteries and cellphones. If our local Best Buy has a similar system, you'd never know it, because they don't publicize it.

[WillAdams]

My township (Lower Allen, PA) is doing an electronics recycling this weekend --- it'd be nice if they'd sort based on brand and return stuff to manufacturers where possible to keep the expense of it down, but this is a problem which really demands local participation. My sister's locality (Alameda, CA) will properly recycle any electronics which will fit in their recycle bin, no special drop-off required --- if all townships got together and did that, then worked together to move stuff to appropriate drop points it'd ``just work''.

William

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

(And let's not try to suggest that McDonald's is somehow "green"... they took that route to save money, nothing more.)

Probably. But, I do recall them advertising it as an ecological move back when they made the switch.

BOb

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

(And let's not try to suggest that McDonald's is somehow "green"... they took that route to save money, nothing more.)

I've seen their food and it's green all ri -- ... wait, that's not what you meant ... never mind.

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

@NatCh: I know our Kinkos have drop-offs for batteries and cellphones. If our local Best Buy has a similar system, you'd never know it, because they don't publicize it.

Ours has a bin in the exit area, between the inner and outer doors. I probably only noticed it because I was looking at the gum ball machines -- it's a little known fact that I'm a gum ball freak -- my wife has to carry a stash of quarters for me.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by NatCh

it's a little known fact that I'm a gum ball freak -- my wife has to carry a stash of quarters for me.

I remember when a gumball used to be a penny.

BOb

[NatCh]

Yeah, me too. I also remember a time (I was around 12, I think) when I spent three whole dollars on 10¢ gum balls (the 25¢ ones now) and tried to chew them all at once.

That would fall on the "not" side of the "good idea" line, by the way, in case anyone's wondering.

[weatherman]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Personally, I don't think paper is really an ecological problem. Paper is a renewable resource and is also bio degradable...I really wonder if the manufacture of an eBook really has less of an impact on the environment compare to the use of less paper. Considering the chemical and such used in the production of the reader, and the waste that is produced once it is passed its useful lifetime.
BOb

Actually paper processing uses a lot of energy and chemicals. Granted, in some processes the energy is recouped from the burning of the by-products of the paper, but it's still burning paper for energy. There's also the issue of disposal; once you're done with it, it still needs to be hauled off and put in a landfill or recycled, which takes more energy and space.

So even though it's renewable and biodegradable, there's still an environmental impact from the making of the paper, transporting it and disposing of it. I'm not sure whether the impact from making an ebook reader is more or less over the lifetime of the device, but I can tell you from personal experience that I produce a lot less waste by reading the NY Times on my reader than I do buying it every day.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Probably. But, I do recall them advertising it as an ecological move back when they made the switch.

There's a word for that: "Greenwashing." McDonald's was (only) one of the pioneers of using PR to suggest ecological motives for financial decisions.

[TheLongshot]

Well, there is a semi-regular recycling day for electronics near my workplace, usually held a couple times a year.

Also, Office Depot does electronic recycling. You have to buy one of their boxes to put the electronics in. When I did it, the manager said I was the first one to do it, even tho they have the boxes in the front of the store.