We also have joined a group, we're a charter member of a group called StEP. It's a United Nations-sponsored and- coordinated group. The word stands for Solving the e-Waste Problem. It's a group of producers, federal agencies - such as the U.S. EPA is a big member of it, etc. -, and some recyclers, and NGOs and development groups on a global basis, trying to improve how e waste is handled. We strongly support that group and we work intensively in both the policy work that the group does, and work to promote re-use as well as recycling correctly. For instance in India, we started up our facility in Chennai, India, a few years ago, and have worked with this StEP group on creating what's called a clean e-waste channel within India. As everyone knows, India became a large software development and business process outsourcing area many years ago. Because of that, there is a high volume of electronic products there, and we are working with the government and industry to create this clean e-waste channel.

Back to the first part of the question, which was do we run into conflicting or widely different laws; absolutely. Two examples are the first country to really - well, the first region/country to really put in clear e-waste laws is the European Union, which in August of 2005 started what's called the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, which directed the member states of the EU - the countries in the EU - to put in e-waste laws. Even that directive spurred different interpretations of the law by the different governments of the different member states, causing a very complicated situation for the producers and everyone else involved in recycling. We are working with the StEP group and other ones to try to harmonize those laws a bit within the EU.

However, as you come to the U.S., which does not have federal regulations regarding e-waste, thereby, each of the states in the United States are developing their own e-waste laws; they are even much more different than the European member states' laws. That's because there is no directive from the federal government in the United States, causing an even more problematic situation for all members involved in trying to promote, again, a clean e-waste channel. As such, we are a strong proponent of harmonization of those laws region-wise, country-wise and globally in order to basically make a more clean e-waste channel throughout the globe.

JB: In a lot of environmental issues, we've seen a lot of movement especially in the past few years from businesses and from the population in general. Have you seen that also with e-waste, with more businesses, more people getting on board within recent years, or has it been more of a steady increase?

JD: Yes. Absolutely. In terms of the last two years in the electronics industry, there has been just an increasingly developing interest in this area, and ensuring that their products are handled correctly globally. It has been kind of refreshing and good to see this, and it's in areas that don't currently even have legislation. For instance the United States, I think a lot of that pushes to create good e waste legislation, to create good recycling industry in the U.S. is actually coming from industry due to the lack of leadership on a federal level.

In Europe, the leader in the kind of …the one , the entity pushing it is the European Union, and the European commission creating the WEEE legislation that I just spoke of. In the U.S. and in other parts of the world, it is, to a great extent in some areas, it is industry that's leading this. I might add, of course, the NGOs and other environmental groups working this issue have been proponents for years. In a lot of ways, those non-governmental groups working with industry and government is the best way to really create good legislation and a good, clean industry.

JB: Is there anything else you would like to add?

JD: The last thing I'd like to add is that AER's intent is to support Silicon Valley and the electronics producers, consumers, and NGOs and the government, in whatever region we work in. If you are interested in understanding how to properly manage your e-waste, please give us a call.

JB: All right, John. Thank you for your time.

JD: Okay. Thank you.

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Jonathan Bardelline is the assistant editor of GreenBiz.com.