Plan to make manufacturers responsible for post-consumer waste

Grants | Legacy Digitization |
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Americans buy nearly thirty million new computers a year. The arrival of the new often means pitching the old. In 1998, about 350,000 p.c.'s became obsolete in Minnesota alone There are a lot of old televisions heading to the landfill too. Both computers and tv's contain cathode ray tubes, the largest source of lead in the waste stream. Cities and states are beginning to worry about what will happen to all the plastic, steel, lead, and heavy metals in electronics products as they reach the end of their useful lives. An innovative Minnesota program is trying to deal with the issue by defining who's responsible for the products we use, even when we decide to throw them away. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.

Funders

Digitization made possible by the State of Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, approved by voters in 2008.

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