Europeans would be able to return their outdated electrical goods to the products’ manufacturers under a new law proposed by the European Commission yesterday. The proposal aims to cut down on heavy metals and other pollutants in municipal waste by requiring manufacturers to take back electrical goods and recycle at least 60 to 80 percent of the products, starting in five years. Goods affected would range from computers to refrigerators to toys. The proposal needs approval from European Union member states and the European Parliament. The EU recently passed a similar take-back law for automobiles.
