Weekly column: A critique of "e-waste" taxes

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://news.com.com/2010-1071_3-5582798.html

Is a PC landfill tax inevitable?
February 21, 2005, 4:00 AM PT
By Declan McCullagh

Rep. Mike Thompson, a California Democrat, delights in warning the 
public about what he calls the looming dangers of landfill-clogging 
electronic gadgetry.

"Over 3,000 tons of electronics are discarded every day in our country," 
says Thompson, whose district includes the huge swath of coast 
stretching from Mendocino to the Oregon border. "Obsolete computers are 
taking up space in closets, warehouses and landfills, and each of these 
computers contains dangerous materials such as lead and chromium, which 
pose a significant risk to human health and the environment."

Last month, Thompson and 21 other politicians introduced the National 
Computer Recycling Act, a proposal that would levy a national sales tax 
of $10 on each CRT or LCD computer monitor and nearly any other 
electronic device with a "central processing unit." Proceeds would be 
awarded to "individuals or organizations" in the form of recycling grants.

The tax would apply to Internet and in-person purchases and cover new 
and used items, even ones sold at computer shows and flea markets. The 
Environmental Protection Agency would be responsible for defining 
exactly what products would be subject to the levy (televisions, 
typewriters and calculators are expressly exempted, but BlackBerries, 
cell phones and iPods are not).

But is Thompson's proposal necessary?

Thompson's 3,000-ton figure sure sounds shocking--until you realize that 
it represents less than 1/10,000th of the more than 30 million tons of 
solid waste produced by the United States each day. That's according to 
the Environmental Protection Agency's own information, which also 
suggests the amount of e-waste entering landfills may be remaining 
constant year after year. The National Safety Council even estimates 
that the number of discarded computers will begin declining this year.

[...remainder snipped...]
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