<p> Discarded electronic products contain many toxic substances which can pollute the environment and threaten human health. Many countries in the world require the manufacturer to be financially responsible for the collection and recycling of their discarded products, which provides an economic incentive to make the products less toxic and more recyclable. More and more U.S. states are adopting electronic take back laws. This talk will review the concept and practice of electronic take back, its track record in the E.U. and in the U.S., and why IT pros and IT security practitioners who want to support good environmental practices should support it. </p>
<p><strong>John McNabb,</strong> an IT Pro from the Boston area, worked for ten years for Clean Water Action, where he spearheaded efforts to pass electronic take back laws in Massachusetts and supported national efforts to pass such laws. He also worked for six years as a legislative liaison for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.</p>