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LANSING – State Representative Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) today encouraged residents to properly dispose of hazardous e-waste materials at the Earth Day celebration at Constitution Hall, where state employees dropped off old computers and other electronic equipment for recycling.

"Many electronic products contain materials such as lead, mercury, arsenic and chromium that can pose severe health risks if they seep into our water and soil." said Warren, who sponsored legislation last year regulating e-waste recycling. "As one of the fastest growing categories of waste, it is critical, for both our health and our environment, that we work to ensure that homeowners have sufficient avenues to safely dispose of these products."

Warren cosponsored e-waste legislation, signed into law last year, that required computer and television manufacturers to develop programs for consumers to recycle obsolete products and register those programs with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The legislation also called for the companies participating in recycling to comply with environmental standards and provided the DEQ authority to enforce penalties for subsequent violations.
           
As part of the festivities, Warren and other lawmakers partnered with the DEQ to highlight the importance of e-waste recycling in celebration of Earth Day and Michigan Conservation Week. Last year, nearly 13,000 pounds of e-waste was collected at the event. The Earth Day celebration also included displays with information and activities for children, a poster contest, and school performances. More than 1,850 students from 34 schools across Michigan gathered to learn how to protect and preserve natural resources. As part of the festivities, the Department of Natural Resources donated 2,000 tree seedlings to participants.
           
"Electronics play such a prominent role in our lives, we need to show children at a young age that we can do both – use cutting-edge technology and preserve our beautiful natural resources for future generations," Warren said. "If left unabated, the improper disposal of e-waste will grow into a toxic problem, one that we can easily prevent by promoting more eco-friendly practices like recycling."