Number of States Mandating E-waste Recycling Increasing

Has your state passed legislation mandating statewide e-waste recycling? So far, 25 states have done just that. Several more states have introduced legislation. All laws except California and Utah use the Producer Responsibility approach, where the manufacturers must pay for recycling. When considering disposing of e-waste, be sure you check to see if the manufacturer of the item will take it back for recycling. The Electronics Takeback Coalition maps out which states have mandated e-waste recycling on its website. The website also includes a chart comparing all the state e-waste laws against basic criteria. Another chart details the scope of products included in e-waste laws (computers, fax machines, printers, etc.). Another chart shows how much e-waste each state is collecting.

By far, because its law has been on the books for at least six years, California is collecting the most e-waste. Another chart shows in which states it is illegal to throw e-waste into the trash. Unfortunately, in most states it is still legal to throw away e-waste. If you would like to access a state-by-state e-waste law summary, click here.

According to a column posted on Green Lodging News last year, relatively light regulations and recycling standards result in the production of 3 million tons of e-waste annually. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, only 13.6 percent of all e-waste was recycled properly in 2007. The remaining 86.4 percent made its way into landfills, and the EPA estimates that e-waste is growing at two to three times the rate of any other waste source.

E-waste is a big concern in our industry, especially when it comes to TVs. Be sure to ask your TV supplier if it takes back TVs for recycling. Also be sure to watch for local e-waste collection drives. Oftentimes, waste management agencies will hold these.