18 November 2010 
President Obama signed - on America Recycles Day - a proclamation highlighting the need for greater attention to addressing electronic waste (e-waste), while also celebrating the strides the country has made in recycling generally.
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the General Services Administration (GSA) recently formed a task force, under the Executive Order on Federal Sustainability, charged with helping the federal government lead by example in responsibly managing used electronics.
"While we can celebrate the breadth of our successes on America Recycles Day, we must also recommit to building upon this progress and to drawing attention to further developments, including the recycling of electronic products," said Obama.
"Currently, most discarded consumer electronics end up in our landfills or are exported abroad, creating potential health and environmental hazards and representing a lost opportunity to recover valuable resources such as rare earth minerals," Obama added.
The EPA says that it has made the handling of used electronics and e-waste one of its top priorities, and through this task force believes the U.S. can become the world leader in sustainable electronics management.
"The increased use of electronics and technology in our homes and society brings the challenge of protecting human health and the environment from potentially harmful effects of the improper handling and disposal of these products," said Obama
The interagency task force, co-chaired by EPA, GSA, and CEQ, will develop a national strategy for responsible electronics stewardship, including improvements to federal procedures for managing electronic products.
"This strategy will also include steps to ensure electronics containing hazardous materials collected for recycling and disposal are not exported to developing nations that lack the capacity to manage the recovery and disposal of these products in ways that safeguard human health and the environment," concludes Obama.
President Obama signed - on America Recycles Day - a proclamation highlighting the need for greater attention to addressing electronic waste (e-waste), while also celebrating the strides the country has made in recycling generally.
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the General Services Administration (GSA) recently formed a task force, under the Executive Order on Federal Sustainability, charged with helping the federal government lead by example in responsibly managing used electronics.
"While we can celebrate the breadth of our successes on America Recycles Day, we must also recommit to building upon this progress and to drawing attention to further developments, including the recycling of electronic products," said Obama.
"Currently, most discarded consumer electronics end up in our landfills or are exported abroad, creating potential health and environmental hazards and representing a lost opportunity to recover valuable resources such as rare earth minerals," Obama added.
The EPA says that it has made the handling of used electronics and e-waste one of its top priorities, and through this task force believes the U.S. can become the world leader in sustainable electronics management.
"The increased use of electronics and technology in our homes and society brings the challenge of protecting human health and the environment from potentially harmful effects of the improper handling and disposal of these products," said Obama
The interagency task force, co-chaired by EPA, GSA, and CEQ, will develop a national strategy for responsible electronics stewardship, including improvements to federal procedures for managing electronic products.
"This strategy will also include steps to ensure electronics containing hazardous materials collected for recycling and disposal are not exported to developing nations that lack the capacity to manage the recovery and disposal of these products in ways that safeguard human health and the environment," concludes Obama.
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