Electronic Waste and the Special Case of Lead-Free Piezoelectrics: A Call for Legislative Action

The United States is one of the world's largest producers of electronic waste (e-waste) but has no current federal framework for its management or recycling. Recent European e-waste legislation has motivated scientific researchers to develop lead-free materials for electronic devices, such as lead-free piezoelectric alternatives to Lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Motivated by the case study of PZT alternatives, three major issues surrounding US e-waste regulation are identified: the current patchwork of state-by-state recycling policy, the lack of academic and industry cooperation to introduce lead-free alternative electronics, and the failure to manage and classify hazardous electronic materials and their alternatives through a full life-cycle perspective. A targeted, three-pronged solution toward more comprehensive federal e-waste policy is proposed: (1) Re-introduce S. 1397 Electronic Device Recycling Research and Development Act to enable the National Academy of Science to research effective ways of establishing a federal recycling program; (2) Propose the National Science Foundation submit a proposal for a “lead-free electronics and sustainable materials for the 21st century” Industry-University Cooperation Research Center (IUCRC); and (3) Work with international standards development organizations to manage and classify e-waste using life-cycle analysis.