With landfills reaching near or beyond capacity on all our islands, how we collectively manage and reduce our waste is a pressing statewide concern. Senate Bill 2843, introduced as part of the joint House-Senate majority package, seeks to address this concern by tackling the problem of electronic waste, or e-waste.

Ever-advancing technology has created a world of limitless choices. We can select from desktop or laptop computers, iPods or MP3 players, LCD or plasma screen TVs, cell phones or smart phones, just to name a few. Clearly, electronic devices have become essential to our daily lives.

While each of us is guilty of our own addiction to PDAs, MP3s, or HDTV screens, society generally has failed to deal with the unconscionable effects of disposing of our e-waste. Rapidly developing technology renders our "old" devices obsolete in barely a year or two. What happens to these discarded devices as we purchase newer computers, cell phones and other electronics?

In 2005 alone, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that between 1.9 and 2.2 million tons of electronics became obsolete. Of that amount, between 1.5 and 1.9 million tons were discarded, primarily in county landfills. While this may seem like an everyday trash issue, e-waste is a grave concern because of the significant quantities of lead and other heavy metals found in electronic devices. When disposed of in landfills or incinerated, these hazardous components are released into our soil, groundwater and air.

Many states deal with their e-waste by shipping it off to foreign countries where environmental standards are less stringent or poorly enforced. As mass consumers of hazardous goods, we have an obligation to protect the local and global environment for future generations.

Under Senate Bill 2843, now being considered by a House-Senate conference committee, the state would adopt a manufacturer responsibility approach that has gained the support of county agencies, the Department of Education, the University of Hawai'i, local retailers and national manufacturers like Hewlett Packard and Apple Inc. This approach shares the responsibility for e-waste recycling among manufacturers, retailers, consumers and government.

Senate Bill 2843 requires manufacturers to register with the state, clearly label their electronic devices, and develop a plan to establish and manage a program for collection and recycling. By taking charge of their own recycling programs, manufacturers are encouraged to consider consumer convenience in the recycling process and are further motivated to create products that are reusable and safer for the environment.

Retailers are responsible for informing consumers about the recycling program and selling only labeled products from registered manufacturers. Consumers play their part by recycling their e-waste according to the plans established by the manufacturer. State government, through the Department of Health, would be responsible for ensuring compliance of manufacturers and their plans with the law, overseeing registration of manufacturers who sell their covered electronic devices in the state, and managing the electronic device recycling fund into which manufacturers pay an annual registration fee to be used for implementing and enforcing the e-waste recycling law.

Currently, at least 12 states have enacted e-waste recycling laws, with most states adopting the manufacturer approach that Hawai'i is considering. As individual consumers, we need to take a proactive approach to dealing with our used goods. Recycling is something all of us can do now to help move us toward our goal of sustainability in 2050.

By adopting legislation like Senate Bill 2843, we can collectively take a huge step toward sustainability and make a community commitment to reduce the amount of waste in all of our county landfills, protect people and the environment from hazardous materials that contaminate our soil, groundwater and air, and encourage manufacturers to develop products that are recyclable, all while continuing to purchase the latest generation of our favorite iPod or MP3 player.

Rep. Della Au Belatti represents Makiki, Tantalus and McCully; Rep. Mele Carroll represents East Maui, Moloka'i and Lana'i; Sen. Gary Hooser represents Kaua'i and Ni'ihau; and Sen. Russell Kokubun represents South Hilo, Puna and Ka'u. They wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.