	Background

As we have reported previously, EPA estimates that across the federal  government 10,000 computers are disposed of each week. Once these  used electronics reach the end of their original useful lives, federal  agencies have several options for disposing of them. Agencies generally  are to donate their used electronics to schools or other nonprofit  educational institutions; exchange them with other federal, state, or local  agencies; sometimes trade them with vendors to offset the costs of new  equipment; sell them—generally through the GSA’s surplus property  program, which sells surplus federal government equipment, including  used federal electronics, at public auctions; or give them to a recycler. The Office of  Management and Budget (OMB), the White House Council on  Environmental Quality (CEQ), and the Office of the Federal  Environmental Executive (OFEE) each play important roles in providing  leadership, oversight, and guidance to assist federal agencies with  implementing the requirements of these executive orders. Specifically, (1) EPA has led or coordinated several improvement  initiatives and issued guidance aimed at improving the management of  used federal electronic products, (2) GSA has issued personal property  disposal guidance and instituted new requirements for electronics  recyclers it has contracted with to dispose of federal electronic products,  (3) the President has issued executive orders that established goals for  improving the management of used federal electronics, and (4) an  interagency task force issued the July 2011 National Strategy for  Electronics Stewardship, which is intended to lay the groundwork for  enhancing the federal government’s management of used electronics. Federal Electronics Challenge. In 2003, EPA, along with several other  agencies, piloted the FEC.that encourages federal facilities and agencies to purchase  environmentally friendly electronic products, reduce the impacts of these  products during their use, and manage used electronics in an  environmentally safe way. As  we reported in July 2010, EPA convened electronics manufacturers,  recyclers, and other stakeholders and provided funding to develop  Responsible Recycling (R2) practices, so that electronics recyclers could  obtain certification to show that they are voluntarily adhering to the  adopted set of best practices for environmental protection, worker health  and safety, and security practices. The strategy assigns primary  responsibility for overseeing or carrying out most of the projects to either  EPA or GSA. The Management of Used Federal Electronics Has Improved and Opportunities Exist for Further Improvements, but Challenges Remain

According to our review of agency documents and discussions with  agency officials, federal agencies have made some progress to improve  their management of used electronic products, as measured by greater  participation in the FEC and an increase in certified electronics recyclers,  but opportunities exist to expand their efforts. HUD does not participate in the FEC. The Tracking and Reporting of Data on the Disposition of Used Electronics Presents Challenges

Currently, due to challenges associated with the tracking and reporting of  used federal electronics, the ultimate disposition of these electronics is  unknown—making it difficult to measure the effectiveness of Executive  Orders 13423 and 13514, which were aimed at improving the  management of used federal electronics and ensuring the proper disposal  of electronics that have reached the end of their useful life. For the five agencies we  reviewed, data provided to us on the disposition of electronic products  were similarly inconsistent, which hampered our efforts to accurately  assess the extent to which electronic products procured by these federal  agencies were disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Consequently, each of the agencies we reviewed used  its own definition of electronic products to report progress in  implementing policies for electronics stewardship. Finally, if  federal agencies sell used functional electronic products through  auctions, neither the agency nor the auction entities are required to  perform due diligence by conducting auditing to determine whether all  downstream reusers of such products follow environmentally sound end- of-life practices. To support federal agencies’ efforts to improve electronics stewardship,  we recommend that the Director of the White House Council on  Environmental Quality, in collaboration with the Director of the Office of  Management and Budget, and the Administrator of the General Services  Administration collaborate on developing and issuing implementing  instructions for Executive Order 13514 that define key terms such as “electronic products” and “environmentally  sound practices;” address inconsistencies between this executive  order and Executive Order 13423; and as appropriate, provide clear  direction on required agency actions under the national strategy; and  require consistent information tracking and reporting on the  disposition of used electronics among agencies. Even with their general concurrences, in  some instances, the agencies proposed alternative approaches for  executing the recommendations. To identify improvements resulting from federal initiatives to improve  management of used federal electronics and challenges that impede  progress, we selected a nonprobability sample of five federal agencies— the departments of Defense (DOD), Energy (DOE), Education  (Education), and Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and the  National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)—to examine how  the federal policy framework is carried out in those agencies.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that across the federal government 10,000 computers are discarded each week. Once these used electronics reach the end of their original useful lives, federal agencies have several options for disposing of them. Agencies generally can donate their reusable electronics to schools; give them to a recycler; exchange them with other federal, state, or local agencies; or sell them through selected public auctions, including auctions sponsored by the General Services Administration (GSA). As the worlds largest purchaser of information technology, the U.S. government, through its disposition practices, has substantial leverage to influence domestic recycling and disposal practices. GAO was asked to examine (1) key initiatives aimed at improving the management of used federal electronics and (2) improvements resulting from these initiatives and challenges that impede progress, if any. To do this, GAO evaluated federal guidance and policy, as well as guidance and initiatives at five selected agencies. GAO selected agencies based on, among other things, the amount of electronics purchased.

What GAO Found

Over the past decade, the executive branch has taken steps to improve the management of used federal electronics. Notably, in 2003, EPA helped to pilot the Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC)a voluntary partnership program that encourages federal facilities and agencies to purchase environmentally friendly electronic products, reduce the impacts of these products during their use, and manage used electronics in an environmentally safe way. EPA also led an effort and provided initial funding to develop third-party certification so that electronics recyclers could show that they are voluntarily adhering to an adopted set of best practices for environmental protection, worker health and safety, and security practices. In 2006, GSA issued its Personal Property Disposal Guide to assist agencies in understanding the hierarchy for disposing of excess personal property, including used electronic products: reutilization, donation, sale, and abandonment or destruction. In 2007 and 2009, executive orders were issued that, among other things, established improvement goals and directed agencies to develop and implement improvement plans for the management of used electronics. The Office of Management and Budget, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive each play important roles in providing leadership, oversight, and guidance to assist federal agencies with implementing the requirements of these executive orders. To lay the groundwork for enhancing the federal governments management of used electronic products, an interagency task force issued the July 2011 National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship. The strategy, which describes goals, action items, and projects, assigns primary responsibility for overseeing or carrying out most of the projects to either EPA or GSA.
Federal agencies have made some progress to improve their management of used electronic products, as measured by greater participation in the FEC and an increase in certified electronics recyclers, but opportunities exist to expand their efforts. For instance, agency participation in the FEC represents only about one-third of the federal workforce. GAO identified challenges with the tracking and reporting on the disposition of federal electronic equipment. For the five agencies GAO reviewed (Departments of Defense, Energy, Education, and Housing and Urban Development and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration), data provided on the disposition of electronic products were inconsistent, which hampered GAOs efforts to accurately assess the extent to which electronic products procured by federal agencies are disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Challenges associated with clarifying agencies responsibility for used electronics sold through auctions also remain. Currently, neither the agency nor the auction entities are required to determine whether purchasers follow environmentally sound end-of-life practices. Not having controls over the ultimate disposition of electronics sold through these auctions creates opportunities for buyers to purchase federal electronics and export them to countries with less stringent environmental and health standards. Other challenges that may impede progress toward improving federal agencies management of used electronics include defining key terms such as electronic product and environmentally sound practices, as each agency uses its own definition of electronic products to report progress in implementing policies for electronics stewardship.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends, among other things, that the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Office of Management and Budget, and GSA take actions to require consistent tracking and reporting of used electronics and ensure appropriate management of electronics sold at auction. Each agency concurred with GAOs recommendations but, in some instances, proposed alternatives for executing the recommendations.