Whitehouse Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Promote Domestic Recycling of Electronic Waste

The office of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., has issued the following news release: With significant amounts of U.S. electronic waste currently exported to developing countries that handle the equipment in an unsafe manner, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today introduced bipartisan legislation to put an end to this dangerous practice. The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act, which is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), would restrict the export of electronic waste, help boost the domestic recycling industry, and support efforts to recover rare earth materials found in electronics.

"With more and more Americans relying on new technologies and generating a growing amount of electronic waste each year, we must take steps to properly dispose of this material," said Whitehouse. "This legislation will crack down on the dumping of electronic waste on developing countries, protect American consumers from counterfeit schemes and identity theft, and support the growth of e-waste recycling jobs in Rhode Island and across the country."

"This legislation will crack down on the dumping of electronic waste on developing countries, protect American consumers from counterfeit schemes and identity theft, and support the growth of e-waste recycling jobs"

Whitehouse

"We can and should handle our electronic waste in a more responsible way. This legislation addresses where these materials can be sent, helping to create investment opportunities for recycling," Murkowski said. "The U.S. is dangerously reliant on foreign supplies for minerals that make up the building blocks of our economy, but recycling can help reverse that trend.

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