Brand Recording Best Practices for Electronics Recycling Programs

Introduction

Under certain emerging electronics recycling systems in the United States and abroad, financial responsibility is determined on the basis of each manufacturer's share of returned equipment. This share is normally referred to as "return share" or "equivalent share." In order to determine each manufacturer's share, these systems often require a tally of the brands of equipment accepted for reuse and recycling.

As states like Maine and Washington move forward with programs that require data on brands of electronic products delivered to collection locations, these data and their quality are becoming more critical. This Best Management Practices document developed by the National Center for Electronics Recycling outlines common challenges and gives practical tips for achieving a reliable brand count. The goal of this effort is to develop to reduce or eliminate common data collection and entry errors and to provide a comprehensive guide for collectors and recyclers who need or choose to perform brand counts.

1. Know Your Units of Measure and Counting Methodology

The first step in performing a brand count is knowing how your results will be used. Do you need to count all brands coming back, or only a subset? Is the program for which the brand tally is being performed interested in a unit count of the brands, or is weight the unit of measure? Can average weights be used or does the program/sponsor need an actual weight of each brand collected? If average weights can be used, Table 1 shows typical weights for common products returned in electronics recycling systems (note: these weights are reflective of average of used products returned today, and in many cases do not reflect the weight of products currently on the market). If actual weights are needed, make sure your facility has the proper scales and decide whether groups of products with the same brand will be measured simultaneously or individually.

Table 1: Average Returned Product Weight

Product Category Average Weight

Laptop/Notebook Computer 8 lbs

Desktop Computer 26 lbs

Computer Monitor 38 lbs

Television 49 lbs

2. Know Your Product Scope

A wide range of electronic products can be returned at residential collection events and programs. While it is possible to record the brands for all of the product categories, it is in many cases not necessary. In some cases, a brand tally may not need to identify the product categories at all. Before recording brands, make sure you know the sponsor's or program's requirements for the scope of covered products. For the purposes of this document, it is assumed that a brand recorder would be counting the units of brands returned by desktop computers, laptop computers, computer monitors, and televisions.

For most brand recorders, these four categories will be easily identifiable from observing the product. However, there are a few "gray area" products where the recorder will need to look more closely at the characteristics of the product in order to accurately designate the correct product category.

Table 2: Tips for "Gray" Area Product Categories

Gray Area Possible Distinguishing Feature

Television or Computer Monitor?

(Example: 19" CRT) • If an "F-Connector" (for connecting coaxial cable) or Antenna Connector is present on the back, the product should be recorded as a television (see example pictures below)

• If the product has a VGA cable attached, it can be recorded as a computer monitor (see picture below)

Computer Monitor or Desktop Computer?

(Example: combined desktop and CRT monitor computer) Product category distinction depends on program requirements. In Maine, a combined desktop and monitor would be recorded as a monitor.

Figure 1: Common Television Connections

Figure 2: Computer Monitor Distinguishing Features

VGA Cord commonly found on computer monitors

Figure 3: Example Combined Desktop/Monitor