Report 2008-112 Recommendations

To avoid contaminating the environment through the inappropriate discarding of electronic devices, state agencies should ascertain whether the electronic devices that require disposal can go into the trash. Alternatively, state agencies could treat all electronic devices they wish to discard as universal waste and recycle them.

State agencies should consider implementing the two best practices we identified: developing a thorough duty statement for recycling coordinators that includes a list of responsibilities related to e-waste and using vendors from General Services' master services agreement when the agencies need recycling services.

To help state agencies' efforts to prevent their e-waste from entering landfills, Toxic Substances Control, the Waste Management Board, and General Services should work together to identify and implement methods that will communicate clearly to state agencies their responsibilities for handling and disposing of e-waste properly and that will inform the agencies about the resources available to assist them. This report identifies five specific approaches that the State could use to implement this recommendation. One approach is to have General Services, in consultation with Toxic Substances Control and the Waste Management Board, amend applicable sections of the State Administrative Manual to include e-waste among the items that state agencies are required to recycle.

To avoid contaminating the environment through the inappropriate discarding of electronic devices, state agencies should ascertain whether the electronic devices that require disposal can go into the trash. Alternatively, state agencies could treat all electronic devices they wish to discard as universal waste and recycle them.

State agencies should consider implementing the two best practices we identified: developing a thorough duty statement for recycling coordinators that includes a list of responsibilities related to e-waste and using vendors from General Services' master services agreement when the agencies need recycling services.

To help state agencies' efforts to prevent their e-waste from entering landfills, Toxic Substances Control, the Waste Management Board, and General Services should work together to identify and implement methods that will communicate clearly to state agencies their responsibilities for handling and disposing of e-waste properly and that will inform the agencies about the resources available to assist them. This report identifies five specific approaches that the State could use to implement this recommendation. One approach is to have General Services, in consultation with Toxic Substances Control and the Waste Management Board, amend applicable sections of the State Administrative Manual to include e-waste among the items that state agencies are required to recycle.

To avoid contaminating the environment through the inappropriate discarding of electronic devices, state agencies should ascertain whether the electronic devices that require disposal can go into the trash. Alternatively, state agencies could treat all electronic devices they wish to discard as universal waste and recycle them.

State agencies should consider implementing the two best practices we identified: developing a thorough duty statement for recycling coordinators that includes a list of responsibilities related to e-waste and using vendors from General Services' master services agreement when the agencies need recycling services.

To avoid contaminating the environment through the inappropriate discarding of electronic devices, state agencies should ascertain whether the electronic devices that require disposal can go into the trash. Alternatively, state agencies could treat all electronic devices they wish to discard as universal waste and recycle them.

State agencies should consider implementing the two best practices we identified: developing a thorough duty statement for recycling coordinators that includes a list of responsibilities related to e-waste and using vendors from General Services' master services agreement when the agencies need recycling services.

To help state agencies' efforts to prevent their e-waste from entering landfills, Toxic Substances Control, the Waste Management Board, and General Services should work together to identify and implement methods that will communicate clearly to state agencies their responsibilities for handling and disposing of e-waste properly and that will inform the agencies about the resources available to assist them. This report identifies five specific approaches that the State could use to implement this recommendation. One approach is to have General Services, in consultation with Toxic Substances Control and the Waste Management Board, amend applicable sections of the State Administrative Manual to include e-waste among the items that state agencies are required to recycle.

To avoid contaminating the environment through the inappropriate discarding of electronic devices, state agencies should ascertain whether the electronic devices that require disposal can go into the trash. Alternatively, state agencies could treat all electronic devices they wish to discard as universal waste and recycle them.

State agencies should consider implementing the two best practices we identified: developing a thorough duty statement for recycling coordinators that includes a list of responsibilities related to e-waste and using vendors from General Services' master services agreement when the agencies need recycling services.