HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-010 - Resuse & Recycling of Their By-ProductsRESOLUTION NO. 2002-010
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA ANA URGING COMPUTER AND OTHER
ELECTRONICS PRODUCERS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR REUSE AND RECYCLING OF THEIR BY-PRODUCTS
MV: 02/02/02
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AS
FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby finds, determines
and declares as follows:
Hazardous electronic discards are an increasing problem, with more than
6,000 computers becoming obsolete in California each day (Californians
Against Waste, "Addressing the Environmental and Economic Cost of
Obsolete Electronics [E-Scrap] in Califomia), and 3.2 million tons of
electronic waste ending up in United States landfills in 2000 and estimated
to quadruple in the next few years ("Computers, E-Waste, and Product
Stewardship: Is California Ready For The Challenge," May 11, 2001,
Report for the US Environmental Protection Agency).
Hazardous electronics may contain lead, cadium, mercury, hexavalent
chromium, polyvinyl chloride, brominated flame retardants and other
materials that can pose hazards to human health and the environment
when handled improperly.
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control recently affirmed
that discarded cathode ray tubes, such as those found in televisions and
computer monitors, are prohibited from disposal, increasing concerns and
costs regarding handling, management, and liability.
Discarded computers and televisions represent part of a growing and
hazardous electronics waste stream.
Managing hazardous electronic scrap through the City's existing
household hazardous waste program will potentially double the volume
and cost of this~?lready over burdened program.
On1~.14% of persoha~ computers that became obsolete in 1998 were
r.e~ycJt~,d'er?ef~h~d. (Electronic Product Recovery and Recycling
BaSeline Rep'~rt, Nati°nal~Safety Council, May 1999).
Resolution No. 2002-010
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The City of Santa Ana is committed to protecting public health and the
environment from hazardous discards, while reducing waste and
increasing recycling consistent with state waste diversion requirements.
The form, volume, toxicity of electronics scrap demands substantially
greater producer responsibility for: 1) reducing the amount of hazardous
materials in electronic devices, 2) diverting hazardous electronics from
solid waste disposal, and 3) increasing the rouse and recycling of
electronic devices and components.
Extended Producer Responsibility principles, such as those being adopted
by several countries and the European Union, will foster the development
of sustainable design and recovery of hazardous electronic equipment by
shifting the default burden of management responsibility from local
government, ratepayers, and taxpayers back to the manufacturers,
distributors and consumers of such products, in part by internalized
lifecycle costs in the price of such products.
Section 2. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby urges its State
Assembly and State Senate Representatives, by letter and receipt of this resolution, to
introduce and support legislation requiring computer and other hazardous electronics
producers to operate or fund comprehensive programs whereby products are sustainably
designed and labeled, consumers receive a financial incentive for proper disposal, and a
convenient collection infrastructure yielding a high rate of recovery is created and
environmentally sound reuse followed by recycling is maximized.
Section 3. If no effective producer responsibility program is created by the
electronics industry or enacted by the California Legislature and signed by the Governor
by October 15, 2002, the City of Santa Ana may commence preparing a local ordinance
to require sellers and manufacturers to take back hazardous electronic equipment free
of charge at the point of purchase or to otherwise establish and finance a convenient
recovery system.
Section 4. Should the electronics industry and the Legislature and Governor
fail to act, the City of Santa Ana, may additionally require a deposit or fee at the point of
sale to provide incentives for consumers to properly return for reuse or recycling such
products and cover the costs to Santa Ana and others for proper management of such
products
ADOPTED this 19th day of February,
2002..~,"'"
Mayor
Resolution No. 2002-010
Page 2 of 3
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Joseph W. Fletcher, City Attorney
By: ~
~;r Michael Vigliotta
Deputy City Attorney
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
NOT PRESENT:
Councilmembers: Bist, Christy, Franklin, McGui.qan, Pulido, Solodo (6)
Councilmembers: None (0)
Councilmembers: None
Councilmembers: Alvarez, (1)
CERTIFICATION OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY
I, PATRICIA E. HEALY, Clerk of Council, do hereby attest to and certify the attached
Resolution No. 2002-010 to be the original resolution adopted by the City Council of the
City of Santa Ana on February 19, 2002.
Clerk of Council /'~
City of Santa Ana ~
Resolution No. 2002-010
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