APPLE¹S RECYCLING POLICIES QUESTIONED AS E-WASTE TAKES SPOTLIGHT
by Sarah Morgan

Clearly, Americans love their gadgets, from iPods, to DVD players, to big screen televisions, but as the dangers of electronic waste become more evident, environmentalists are turning to the manufacturers for improvements, with Apple next on the list.

After their success with Dell Inc., which initiated a broader recycling program last year, members of the Computer TakeBack Campaign are now planning a year-long campaign calling for Apple to step up their recycling efforts and work harder on innovative products that have a smaller impact on the environment, according to the Associated Press.

Apple presently charges $30 to recycle unwanted electronics, though there is no charge to recycle electronics in Japan, Europe, Taiwan, or South Korea.

"We know consumers won't pay 30 bucks to get rid of something they think is junk," Robin Schneider, executive director of the Texas Campaign for the Environment, told the AP.

The AP reported that in the United States, consumers retire or replace about 133,000 personal computers per day, as calculated by research firm Gartner Inc. And the AP reported that, "according to a study commissioned by San Jose, Calif.-based Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, roughly half of all US households have working but unused consumer electronics products. Roughly 400 million gizmos will be thrown out by 2010."

This waste, when combined with other electronic waste, including televisions, cell phones, stereos, and other devices, impacts more than just landfill space. The Texas Campaign for the Environment estimated that, unless producers take back their obsolete products, Texas taxpayers alone will pay at least $600 million for proper electronic waste disposal and recycling over a ten-year period. Further, if the waste is not properly disposed of, an estimated 5.5 billion pounds of toxins from electronic waste is headed for Texas landfills and incinerators.

Electronic devices may contain lead, mercury, cadmium, and other heavy metals which, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate ground water or lead to dangerous levels of exposure, according to TCE.

Another reason to target Apple, opponents say, is simply because of Apple products¹ growing popularity. Apple just reported their highest quarterly revenue and net income ever, shipping more than 1 million Macintosh units and 4.6 million iPods during the quarter, representing a 26-percent increase in CPU units and a 525-percent increase in iPods over the same quarter one year ago. What¹s more, Apple recently announced the debut of the more affordable iPod Shuffle, retailing for only $99, and the $499 Mac Mini, a 6.5-inch square CPU, dubbed as "the most affordable Mac ever."

Though Apple has yet to respond officially to the complaints, the company has promised to join eBay Inc. and Intel Corp., which launched an informational Web site to help motivate Americans to resell, donate, or recycle used gadgets, the AP reported.

Some manufacturers, including Dell and Hewlett Packard, have already begun to support producer take-back policies. They are starting to take back their own units from consumers and support legislation to require such policies. As for state governments, last year Maine became the first state in the nation to require producers of monitors, laptops, and TVs to take back their obsolete products.

Now, the Recycling Alliance of Texas is forming an Electronic Resource Recovery Council to promote the reuse, recycling, and responsible management of electronic resources in Texas. They are holding an organizational meeting on January 25 at the offices of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in Austin, Fort Worth, and Houston, from 1:30 to 4 pm. The meeting is for anyone interested in helping to resolve the e-waste issue, including manufacturers, recyclers, and public and private citizens. For more information on the meeting, e-mail Alan Watts at awatts@tceq.state.tx.us with ERRC on the subject line of the message.

TCEQ PUBLISHES ENFORCEMENT REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS
 

Last week, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality released a list of accepted and rejected recommendations made during the enforcement process review that began in December of 2003.

The review was conducted by a steering committee of agency staff, and was aimed at tightening enforcement functions to ensure that the agency is enforcing environmental laws fairly, effectively, and swiftly.

The committee has made more than 60 recommendations as part of the most comprehensive review of the agency¹s enforcement policies and practices ever undertaken, according to an agency news release.

Recommendations include establishing standard penalties for violations and adopting a penalty policy, as well as working with a collection agency to recover unpaid fines. Other recommendations include prioritizing violations so that those that result in risk or harm to the environment or human health are dealt with first by focusing investigative efforts on sources posing the greatest threat.

The commission said some changes will be effective immediately, while others could take more than one year to implement.

The full list of recommendations can be viewed at:
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/comm_exec/epreview/epr_recc.pdf

LEGACY LAND TRUST TO CELEBRATE SUCCESSFUL YEAR AT ANNUAL FUNDRAISER

Legacy Land Trust, a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting natural areas in the Houston region, is holding its annual fundraising dinner on Thursday, Jan 27, at 6 pm. The dinner will be at the J.W. Marriott hotel at 5150 Westheimer, and will include the presentation of the third annual Terry Hershey Volunteer of the Year Award, as well as a talk by guest speakers John and Gloria Tveten, naturalists known for their books on local flora and fauna. Legacy Land Trust will also share details of the five permanent land preservation agreements completed in 2004, which bring the trust¹s total protected lands to more than 3,000 acres. To attend, register online at http://www.llt.org.

TREES FOR HOUSTON 2005 ARBOR DAY AWARDS CELEBRATION

Help celebrate the work of individuals, groups, and businesses toward a greener, cleaner Houston. Winners of the Arbor Day Awards, including the Jim Rylander Memorial Award, will be recognized at a celebration on Thursday, Jan 27, under the two beautiful live oaks saved and preserved by Beck's Prime, located on Augusta at Westheimer. Recipients include foundations that have made exceptional contributions to the planting and preservation of trees in the Houston area within the last year. For more information, contact Trees for Houston at (713) 840-8733 or visit http://www.treesforhouston.org

USGBC FILM: THE NEXT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

The Greater Houston chapter of the US Green Building Council will view the film "The Next Industrial Revolution" at their meeting on Jan 25, from 5 to 7 pm. The 55-minute film focuses on the work and vision of architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart, two leaders of a movement to transform the relationship between commerce and nature. The film is narrated by Susan Sarandon and is an optimistic look at the future using stories and five projects that represent a change in direction of the human economy, including stories from Nike, Ford Motor Company, Oberlin College, and more. The film will be shown at the Houstonian Hotel, 111 North Post Oak Lane. For more information, call (713) 680-2626. Please RSVP to tmurray@m-architects.com.

3RD, 5TH WARD REDEVELOPMENT PLANS TO BE SHOWN

The Land Assemblage Redevelopment Authority in conjunction with the City of Houston Planning and Development Department will host two open house events for the community to review the completed Third Ward and Fifth Ward Urban Redevelopment Plans. The Third Ward Urban Redevelopment Plan open house will be at the Judson Robinson Jr. Multi-Service Center, 2020 Herman Dr., Jan 22, from 10 am to 1 pm. The Fifth Ward Urban Redevelopment Plan open house will be at the Fifth Ward Multi-Service Center, 4014 Market, Jan 29, from 10 am to 1 pm. For more information, e-mail lynn.henson@cityofhouston.net.

STATE OF THE BAY SYMPOSIUM

The Seventh Biennial State of the Bay Symposium will be Jan 25 at the Downtown Aquarium. The Galveston Bay Estuary Program is a program of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, working with bay stakeholders to implement The Galveston Bay Plan - a comprehensive conservation and management plan for Galveston Bay. The State of the Bay Symposium is designed to highlight natural resource management successes and to provide a forum for discussion regarding challenges and potential solutions. This year's theme is "The Galveston Bay Plan at Year Ten: Successes, Challenges, and Future Direction." Pre-registration and pre-payment required for this event. To register, visit:
http://texasonline.state.tx.us/NASApp/tnrcc/TnrccEventManager or contact Sue Phillips at (512) 239-6327.

SIERRA CLUB SEEKS ORGANIZER

Sierra Club seeks a highly motivated, experienced organizer for grassroots organizing position located in a one-person office in Houston. Press experience is required and fluency in Spanish is desired. This person will put together a grass roots Building Environmental Communities campaign on stopping rampant sprawl and promoting healthy, clean transportation choices. They must be able to work with many kinds of people (both staff and volunteers), be motivated and motivating, highly organized, and a self-starter. Some training is provided. Send resume and cover letter by Jan 28 to Phyllis Dunham, Southern Plains Regional Field Staff Director, at phyllis.dunham@sierraclub.org.

KEEP TEXAS BEAUTIFUL SEEKS ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

Keep Texas Beautiful, a statewide community clean-up and beautification organization, is seeking an administrative coordinator to oversee logistics for teacher trainings, environmental education forums and training seminars, conference registration, data entry, and mailings. The candidate must be flexible, able to adapt to different work situations, and possess high-level customer service skills. Applicant must be skilled in Word, Excel, database applications, and Outlook. College degree in education, business administration, or communication preferred but not mandatory. Job pays $2,333 to $2,900 per month. Send resumes by fax to (512) 478.2640 or e-mail admin@ktb.org by Jan 18.

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