What you can do

What YOU can do

Back to WCRC's
Producer Responsibility Campaign

2006 Washington State
Proposed E-Waste Legislation

Toxics in Electronics

2004 Washington State
Electronic Waste Legislation

WCRC's A Citizen's Guide
to Producer Responsibility

WCRC's Electronics Survey

Computer TakeBack Campaign

What You Can Do aa

Until Producer Responsibility becomes the status quo, you can....

Use your purchasing power to send a message that only responsible companies deserve your business. Choose products from those companies who score in the top 10 of the Fourth Annual Computer Report Card. Purchase electronics equipment that has been made with recycled content and comes with little unnecessary packaging.

Buy refurbished products or products (especially computers) that will grow with you.

Call, write, or e-mail the manufacturer of your computer, printer, monitor, etc. and ask them about the hazardous materials in their products and their takeback policies. Specifically ask if they use prison labor or send e-waste overseas (or if any outside recyclers they contract with use prison labor or send e-waste overseas.)

Go to GRRN: Please Take Back My Computer!, EcoPledge.com, Planet Feedback for help with your correspondence with manufacturers and retailers.

Help introduce or support legislation or regulations that will build recycling infrastructure, ban landfilling and incineration of e-waste, build computer recycling infrastructure, make illegal the export of e-waste, and require reductions in hazardous materials, especially lead and brominated flame retardants. Go Product Stewardship Institute and GRRN's Promoting Zero Waste to Public Officials for model legislation.

Pressure companies through shareholder action. If you, your union, or employer own stock in computer companies, support resolutions filed by socially responsible investment firms. Go to the Socially Responsible Investing link for more information.

Get your company, university or organization to use their purchasing power to buy environmentally preferable equipment and to create takeback programs. If you make IT purchases, or recommendations of purchases for a company, agency, or institution, demand takeback provisions in sales contracts.

Do not throw your old computer in the trash! (or on public property!) Go to the Computer Recycling link for more information.

Take your electronics to recyclers who have taken the Electronics Recycler’s Pledge of True Stewardship. To date four Washington recyclers have agreed not to export toxic waste to developing nations, to prevent hazardous electronic waste from going to incinerators and landfills, and to avoid the use of prison labor.

They are: Total Reclaim, Seattle, 206-343-7443,
RE-PC, Seattle, 206-623-9151; Tukwila, 206-575-8737,
PC Salvage, Tacoma, 253-460-8322, and
The RE Store, Bellingham, 360-647-5921.
Go to Basel Action Network for more details.

Donate used computers to a nonprofit organization or school. But do o very cautiously! Be sure to confirm that there is a need for the equipment before dropping it off at donation sites since disposal of unwanted equipment can be very costly for organizations. Information for King County, Washington residents can be found at King County Recycling and Reuse Datebase.

Volunteer to work for producer responsibility. Support or become active in the local environmental organizations or call WCRC!

Back to WCRC's Producer Responsibility Campaign