E Waste Proposal D2
Group 10 Proposal
E-waste is discarded electronic or electrical devices. E-waste contains valuable metals and contaminants. According to the EPA, only 16% of the total collected e-waste in the past decade in the
US was recycled. The rest is directed to the local dumpsters where end-of-life electronics decompose midst the rest of the waste and release dangerous toxins that have an adverse impact on human health and the environment if not disposed improperly.
The key interested parties in this environmental risk problem include the general public, city planners, scientists and researchers, policymakers and environmental and health government agencies, business owners, media and public and private investors.
When designing policies to alleviate the risks caused by e-waste, policymakers need to consider the preservation of our environmental resources and the public’s health. At the same time, policymakers do not want to create policies that abate the production of electronics - this discourages technological innovation and economic growth. Lastly, policymakers need to design policies that can be thoroughly enforced within a system that encourages legal compliance by all parties.
The primary goal of our program is to incentivize appropriate e-waste disposal by subsidizing the recycling industry. Our program will employ the financial payments approach where in addition to sales tax, the total price of an electronic appliance will include an “E-waste Recycling Tax.” The tax margin will be directed to the regional EPA office who in turn will distribute these grants amongst recycling businesses participating in the program. Those with comparative or absolute advantage will receive a larger percentage of the grant generated by ERT.
Alternatively, a surcharge can be added to the purchasing price of electronics sold. “E-Tax” as such acts as economic motivation, as the fee will be returned once the product is responsibly disposed.
As another option, laws requiring information
E-waste is discarded electronic or electrical devices. E-waste contains valuable metals and contaminants. According to the EPA, only 16% of the total collected e-waste in the past decade in the
US was recycled. The rest is directed to the local dumpsters where end-of-life electronics decompose midst the rest of the waste and release dangerous toxins that have an adverse impact on human health and the environment if not disposed improperly.
The key interested parties in this environmental risk problem include the general public, city planners, scientists and researchers, policymakers and environmental and health government agencies, business owners, media and public and private investors.
When designing policies to alleviate the risks caused by e-waste, policymakers need to consider the preservation of our environmental resources and the public’s health. At the same time, policymakers do not want to create policies that abate the production of electronics - this discourages technological innovation and economic growth. Lastly, policymakers need to design policies that can be thoroughly enforced within a system that encourages legal compliance by all parties.
The primary goal of our program is to incentivize appropriate e-waste disposal by subsidizing the recycling industry. Our program will employ the financial payments approach where in addition to sales tax, the total price of an electronic appliance will include an “E-waste Recycling Tax.” The tax margin will be directed to the regional EPA office who in turn will distribute these grants amongst recycling businesses participating in the program. Those with comparative or absolute advantage will receive a larger percentage of the grant generated by ERT.
Alternatively, a surcharge can be added to the purchasing price of electronics sold. “E-Tax” as such acts as economic motivation, as the fee will be returned once the product is responsibly disposed.
As another option, laws requiring information