Improving Capacity for Critical Mineral Recovery Through Electronic Waste Recycling/Reuse: U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works Hearing

The United States Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works (“Committee”) held a July 26th hearing titled:

Improving Capacity for Critical Mineral Recovery through Electronic Waste Recycling and Reuse (“Hearing”)

Committee Chairman Tom Carper (Delaware) stated that the purpose of the Hearing was to:

• Examine challenges facing electronic wastes (e-waste) recycling and reuse
• Examine opportunities to improve critical mineral recovery

The Chairman’s opening statement highlighted three points:

• Economic Value Lost by Inadequate E-Waste Recycling Infrastructure
  • Difficulties recycling/reusing e-waste
  • 50 million tons of e-waste discarded in landfills globally valued at an estimated $62.5 billion
• Opportunities to improve E-Waste Recycling
  • Recycling electronics at the end of their useable life allows for the recovery of critical minerals (citing nickel and cobalt)
  • Recovering e-waste minerals are important components of electric vehicles, solar panels, and other clean energy technologies
• Need for the United States to join the Basel Convention
  • United States is the only developed country not party to the Basel Convention which governs the transportation of hazardous waste between nations
  • Has the United States’ failure to ratify the Basel Convention impacted the electronics recycling industry over the last 20 or 30 years?
  • How will the United States be affected by the new Swiss-Ghana amendment to the Basel Convention which establishes new definitions for hazardous and non-hazardous electronic waste?

Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia) opening statement highlights included:

• Notes Two E-Waste Misconceptions
  • Managing e-waste is an issue for a later date
  • E-waste is somebody else’s problem once we discard it
• The United States Environmental Protection Agency is Determined that E-Waste is the Fastest-Growing Segment of the Waste Stream
• Even the Most Optimistic Estimates Assume Less Than 20% of E-Waste is Properly Collected and Recycled
• Improperly Managed E-Waste Exports Contribute to Intellectual Property Theft Through Microchip Counterfeiting
• By Reducing Reliance on Overseas Mineral Production and Enhancing Domestic Recycling National Security Can Be Bolstered Reducing Potential Vulnerabilities
• Capacity to Refurbish and Recover Valuable Minerals from Discarded E-Waste Has Greatly Improved

A list of the Hearing witnesses and links to their written statements can be found below.