I have some work to do today on a new Open University course in environmental decision making, so was in a receptive frame of mind when reminded by Declan McCullagh of his grumblings about the proposed "National Computer Recycling Act".
Interestingly enough Declan's like-minded free market libertarian friend, James Maule, seems to think it might be a good idea to impose a sales tax on electronic gadgets like PCs, in order to be able to pay for the processing of the consequent waste. He has a slightly more sophisticated proposal for the tax than the blanket $10 per gadget being proposed, believing that the tax should be proportionate to the amount of harmful waste likely to be generated by the item. He also says that such a tax is only justifiable, if there really is a problem with toxic waste from these devices and, like Declan, is skeptical...
"The big issue, of course, is whether there is an environmental problem. That discussion is underway. If there is to be some sort of fee, however, it ought to be designed more sensibly than the one in the proposed National Computer Recycling Act. Done properly, it could be a good thing."
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