I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2396 

To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 

award grants for electronic device recycling research, development, and 

demonstration projects, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 24, 2011 

Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Mr. WU, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 

Texas, and Mr. CLARKE of Michigan) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants for electronic device recycling research, development, and demonstration projects, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Electronic Device Re5 cycling Research and Development Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The volume of electronic devices in the 

2 United States is substantial and will continue to 

3 grow. The Environmental Protection Agency esti4 mates that over 2 billion computers, televisions, 

5 wireless devices, printers, gaming systems, and other 

6 devices have been sold since 1980, generating 2 mil7 lion tons of unwanted electronic devices in 2005 

8 alone. 

9 (2) Electronic devices can be recycled or refur10 bished to recover and conserve valuable materials, 

11 such as gold, copper, and platinum. However, ac12 cording to the Environmental Protection Agency, 

13 only 15 to 20 percent of electronic devices discarded 

14 from households reach recyclers. 

15 (3) The electronic device recycling industry in 

16 the United States is growing; however, challenges re17 main for the recycling of electronic devices by house18 holds and other small generators. Collection of such 

19 electronic devices is expensive, and separation and 

20 proper recycling of some of the materials recovered, 

21 like lead from cathode-ray tube televisions, is costly. 

22 (4) The export of unwanted electronic devices 

23 to developing countries also presents a serious chal24 lenge. The crude methods of many of the recycling 

25 operations in these countries can expose workers to 


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1 harmful chemicals, jeopardizing their health and pol2 luting the environment. 

3 (5) Some of the challenges to increasing the 

4 recyclability of electronic devices can be addressed 

5 by improving the logistics and technology of the col6 lection and recycling process, designing electronic 

7 devices to avoid the use of hazardous materials and 

8 to be more easily recycled, and encouraging the use 

9 of recycled materials in more applications. 

10 (6) The public currently does not take full ad11 vantage of existing electronic device recycling oppor12 tunities. Studying factors that influence behavior 

13 and educating consumers about responsible elec14 tronic device recycling could help communities and 

15 private industry develop recycling programs that 

16 draw more participation. 

17 (7) The development of tools and technologies 

18 to increase the lifespan of electronic devices and to 

19 promote their safe reuse would decrease the impact 

20 of the production of electronic devices on the envi21 ronment and likely increase the recyclability of such 

22 devices. 

23 (8) Accurately assessing the environmental im24 pacts of the production of electronic devices and the 

25 recycling of such devices is a complex task. Data, 


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1 tools, and methods to better quantify these impacts 

2 would help policymakers and others determine the 

3 best end-of-life management options for electronic 

4 devices. 

5 SEC. 3. ELECTRONIC DEVICE ENGINEERING RESEARCH, 

6 DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION 

7 PROJECTS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall award 

9 multiyear grants to consortia to conduct research to create 

10 innovative and practical approaches to manage the envi11 ronmental impacts of electronic devices and, through the 

12 conduct of this research, to contribute to the professional 

13 development of scientists, engineers, and technicians in 

14 the fields of electronic device manufacturing, design, re15 furbishing, and recycling. The grants awarded under this 

16 section shall support research to— 

17 (1) increase the efficiency of and improve elec18 tronic device collection and recycling; 

19 (2) expand the uses and applications for mate20 rials recovered from electronic devices; 

21 (3) develop and demonstrate environmentally 

22 friendly alternatives to the use of hazardous and po23 tentially hazardous materials in electronic devices 

24 and the production of such devices; 


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1 (4) develop methods to identify, separate, and 

2 remove hazardous and potentially hazardous mate3 rials from electronic devices and to reuse, recycle, or 

4 dispose of such materials in a safe manner; 

5 (5) reconsider product design and assembly to 

6 facilitate and improve refurbishment, reuse, and re7 cycling of electronic devices, including an emphasis 

8 on design for recycling; 

9 (6) conduct lifecycle analyses of electronic de10 vices, including developing tools and methods to as11 sess the environmental impacts of the production, 

12 use, and end-of-life management of electronic devices 

13 and electronic device components; 

14 (7) develop product design, tools, and tech15 niques to extend the lifecycle of electronic devices, 

16 including methods to promote their upgrade and 

17 safe reuse; and 

18 (8) identify the social, behavioral, and economic 

19 barriers to recycling and reuse for electronic devices 

20 and develop strategies to increase awareness, con21 sumer acceptance, and the practice of responsible re22 cycling and reuse for such devices. 

23 (b) MERIT REVIEW; COMPETITION.—Grants shall be 

24 awarded under this section on a merit-reviewed, competi25 tive basis. 


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1 (c) APPLICATIONS.—A consortium shall submit an 

2 application for a grant under this section to the Adminis3 trator at such time, in such manner, and containing such 

4 information and assurances as the Administrator may re5 quire. The application shall include a description of— 

6 (1) the research project that will be undertaken 

7 by the consortium and the contributions of each of 

8 the participating entities, including the for-profit en9 tity; 

10 (2) the applicability of the project to reduce im11 pediments to electronic device recycling in the elec12 tronic device design, manufacturing, refurbishing, or 

13 recycling industries; 

14 (3) the potential for and feasibility of incor15 porating the research results into industry practice; 

16 and 

17 (4) how the project will promote collaboration 

18 among scientists and engineers from different dis19 ciplines, such as electrical engineering, materials 

20 science, and social science. 

21 (d) DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS.—Re22 search results shall be made publicly available through— 

23 (1) development of best practices or training 

24 materials for use in the electronic device manufac25 turing, design, refurbishing, or recycling industries; 


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1 (2) dissemination at conferences affiliated with 

2 such industries; 

3 (3) publication on the Environmental Protection 

4 Agency’s Web site; 

5 (4) demonstration projects; or 

6 (5) educational materials for the public pro7 duced in conjunction with State governments, local 

8 governments, or nonprofit organizations on problems 

9 and solutions related to electronic device recycling 

10 and reuse. 

11 (e) FUNDING CONTRIBUTION FROM FOR-PROFIT

12 MEMBER OF CONSORTIUM.—The for-profit entity partici13 pating in the consortium shall contribute at least 10 per14 cent of the total research project cost, either directly or 

15 with in-kind contributions. 

16 (f) PROTECTION OF PROPRIETARY INFORMATION.— 

17 The Administrator— 

18 (1) shall not disclose any proprietary informa19 tion or trade secrets provided by any person or enti20 ty pursuant to this section; 

21 (2) shall ensure that, as a condition of receipt 

22 of a grant under this section, each member of the 

23 consortium has in place proper protections to main24 tain proprietary information or trade secrets contrib25 uted by other members of the consortium; and 


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1 (3) if any member of the consortium breaches 

2 the conditions under paragraph (2) or discloses pro3 prietary information or trade secrets, may require 

4 the return of any funds received under this section 

5 by such member. 

6 (g) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Within 2 years after the 

7 date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years there8 after, the Administrator shall transmit to Congress a re9 port that provides— 

10 (1) a list of the grants awarded under this sec11 tion; 

12 (2) the entities participating in each consortium 

13 receiving a grant; 

14 (3) a description of the research projects car15 ried out in whole or in part with funds made avail16 able under such a grant; 

17 (4) the results of such research projects; and 

18 (5) a description of the rate and success of the 

19 adoption or integration of such research results into 

20 the manufacturing processes, management practices, 

21 and products of the electronics industry. 

22 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

23 are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to 

24 carry out this section: 

25 (1) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2012. 


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1 (2) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2013. 

2 (3) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2014. 

3 SEC. 4. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REPORT ON 

4 ELECTRONIC DEVICE RECYCLING. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—In order to better recognize gaps 

6 and opportunities in the research and training programs 

7 established in this Act, the Administrator shall enter into 

8 an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences 

9 for a report, to be transmitted to Congress not later than 

10 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, on— 

11 (1) opportunities for and barriers to— 

12 (A) increasing the recyclability of elec13 tronic devices, specifically addressing— 

14 (i) recycling or safe disposal of elec15 tronic devices and low value materials re16 covered from such devices; 

17 (ii) designing electronic devices to fa18 cilitate reuse and recycling; and 

19 (iii) the reuse of electronic devices; 

20 and 

21 (B) making electronic devices safer and 

22 more environmentally friendly, specifically ad23 dressing reducing the use of hazardous mate24 rials and potentially hazardous materials in 

25 electronic devices; 


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1 (2) the environmental and human health risks 

2 posed by the storage, transport, recycling, and dis3 posal of unwanted electronic devices; 

4 (3) the current status of research and training 

5 programs to promote the environmental design of 

6 electronic devices to increase the recyclability of such 

7 devices; and 

8 (4) any regulatory or statutory barriers that 

9 may prevent the adoption or implementation of best 

10 management practices or technological innovations 

11 that may arise from the research and training pro12 grams established in this Act. 

13 (b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The report under sub14 section (a) shall identify gaps in the current research and 

15 training programs in addressing the opportunities, bar16 riers, and risks relating to electronic device recycling, and 

17 the report shall recommend areas where additional re18 search and development resources are needed to reduce 

19 the impact of unwanted electronic devices on the environ20 ment. 

21 SEC. 5. ENGINEERING CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT 

22 GRANTS. 

23 (a) GRANT PROGRAM.—The Administrator, in con24 sultation with the Director of the National Science Foun25 dation, shall award grants to institutions of higher eduVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:47 Jul 01, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2396.IH H2396

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1 cation to develop curricula that incorporates the principles 

2 of environmental design into the development of electronic 

3 devices— 

4 (1) for the training of electrical, mechanical, in5 dustrial, manufacturing, materials, and software en6 gineers and other students at the undergraduate and 

7 graduate level; and 

8 (2) to support the continuing education of pro9 fessionals in the electronic device manufacturing, de10 sign, refurbishing, or recycling industries. 

11 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The term ‘‘institution of 

12 higher education’’, as such term is used with respect to 

13 eligibility to receive a grant under subsection (a)(2), in14 cludes any institution of higher education under section 

15 101(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

16 1001(b)). 

17 (c) OUTREACH TO MINORITY SERVING INSTITU18 TIONS.—The Administrator shall conduct outreach to mi19 nority serving institutions for the purposes of providing 

20 information on the grants available under this section and 

21 how to apply for such grants. 

22 (d) MERIT REVIEW; COMPETITION.—Grants shall be 

23 awarded under this section on a merit-reviewed, competi24 tive basis. 


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1 (e) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under this sec2 tion shall be used for activities that enhance the ability 

3 of an institution of higher education to broaden the under4 graduate and graduate-level engineering curriculum or 

5 professional continuing education curriculum to include 

6 environmental engineering design principles and consider7 ation of product lifecycles related to electronic devices and 

8 increasing the recyclability of such devices. Activities may 

9 include— 

10 (1) developing and revising curriculum to in11 clude multidisciplinary elements; 

12 (2) creating research and internship opportuni13 ties for students through partnerships with industry, 

14 nonprofit organizations, or government agencies; 

15 (3) creating and establishing certificate pro16 grams; and 

17 (4) developing curricula for short courses and 

18 continuing education for professionals in the envi19 ronmental design of electronic devices to increase the 

20 recyclability of such devices. 

21 (f) APPLICATION.—An institution of higher education 

22 seeking a grant under this section shall submit an applica23 tion to the Administrator at such time, in such manner, 

24 and with such information and assurances as the Adminis25 trator may require. 


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1 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

2 are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to 

3 carry out this section: 

4 (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2012. 

5 (2) $5,150,000 for fiscal year 2013. 

6 (3) $5,304,000 for fiscal year 2014. 

7 SEC. 6. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE MA8 TERIALS PHYSICAL PROPERTY DATABASE. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall establish an 

10 initiative to develop a comprehensive physical property 

11 database for environmentally friendly alternative materials 

12 for use in electronic devices. 

13 (b) PRIORITIES.—The Director, working with the 

14 electronic device design, manufacturing, or recycling in15 dustries, shall develop a strategic plan to establish prior16 ities and the physical property characterization require17 ments for the database described in subsection (a). 

18 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

19 are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to 

20 carry out this section: 

21 (1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2012. 

22 (2) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2013. 

23 (3) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2014. 

24 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

25 For the purposes of this Act: 


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1 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis2 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ3 mental Protection Agency. 

4 (2) CONSORTIUM.—The term ‘‘consortium’’ 

5 means a grant applicant or recipient under section 

6 3(a) that includes— 

7 (A) at least one institution of higher edu8 cation, nonprofit research institution, or govern9 ment laboratory; and 

10 (B) at least one for-profit entity, including 

11 a manufacturer, designer, refurbisher, or recy12 cler of electronic devices or the components of 

13 such devices. 

14 (3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

15 the Director of the National Institute of Standards 

16 and Technology. 

17 (4) ELECTRONIC DEVICE.—The term ‘‘elec18 tronic device’’ may include computers, computer 

19 monitors, televisions, laptops, printers, wireless de20 vices, copiers, fax machines, stereos, video gaming 

21 systems, and the components of these devices. 

22 (5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

23 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

24 meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 

25 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 


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1 (6) MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTION.—The 

2 term ‘‘minority serving institution’’ means an insti3 tution that is an eligible institution under section 

4 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

5 U.S.C. 1067q(a)). 

Æ 


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