State Electronics Recycling Law Implementation Status
Updated April 2009
The following research has been compiled by the NCER to keep electronics recycling stakeholders apprised of the status of mandated electronics recycling programs in the US. For background on any of the state laws, see the Current Electronics Laws in Effect page.
California
Funding
California’s recycling law places a $8-$25 fee on the sale on covered electronics devices. Collected fees are remitted by retailers to the State and deposited in an account. Subsequently, payments are made to approved collectors and recyclers of covered electronic waste (CEW) to cover the net cost of appropriate waste recovery, processing and recycling activities. As of April 2009, there were nearly 600 approved collectors and 58 approved recyclers in the state. The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) pays approved recyclers $0.39 per pound collected, $0.16 per pound of which goes to collectors.
Click Here to view a payment system diagram produced by the CA Integrated Waste Management Board.
By fiscal year (July 1 - June 30), the California Board of Equalization has collected the following amounts:
|
Fiscal Year |
Fee Revenue |
|
FY 04-05 |
$31 Million |
|
FY 05-06 |
$78 Million |
|
FY 06-07 |
$79 Million |
By quarter, the CIWMB has paid out the following amounts:
| Quarter/Year |
$$$$ Claimed |
|
| Q1 2005 |
$4,269,568.27 |
| Q2 2005 |
$7,197,405.04 |
| Q3 2005 |
$8,271,384.74 |
| Q4 2005 |
$11,370,201.30 |
| |
Total $ Claimed 2005: $31,108,559.35
Total Pounds 2005: 64,809,499 lbs |
| |
| Q1 2006 |
$12,067,981.36 |
| Q2 2006 |
$14,410,977.70 |
| Q3 2006 |
$17,187,202.49 |
| Q4 2006 |
$17,763,827.82 |
| |
Total $ Claimed 2006: $61,429,989.37
Total Pounds 2006: 127,979,144.52 lbs |
| |
| Q1 2007 |
$19,149,361.21 |
| Q2 2007 |
$21,643,131.55 |
| Q3 2007 |
$24,182,069.60 |
| Q4 2007 |
$23,613,612.14 |
| |
|
Total $ Claimed 2007: $88,588,174.50
Total Pounds 2007: 184,558,696.88 lbs
|
| Q1 2008 |
$25,481,844.95 |
| Q2 2008 |
$27,026,545.16 |
| Q3 2008 |
$23,065,380.99 |
| Q4 2008 |
$19,586,779.01 |
|
|
Total $ Claimed 2008: $95,160,550.11
Total Pounds 2008: 216,064,581.42 lbs
|
Payment statistics to date:
Nearly 1,300 total claims submitted to CIWMB by recyclers for payment
~$275 million (representing approximately 600 million pounds of covered electronic waste) have been claimed through the payment system since January 2005
Because the growth of the collection and recycling infrastructure fostered by the payment system reached a point in 2008 where the volume of CEW recovered results in a payment demand outpaced the level of revenue that funds the system. Thus in 2008 California modified its regulations to increase consumer-paid fees on the purchase of certain new electronics and decreased fees paid to recyclers and collectors.
Recycling Results
By quarter, the California recycling program has collected the following amounts. Please note that these totals do not include out-of-scope products that may be accepted by collectors and recyclers but not reported nor reimbursed by the CIWMB.
| Total E-Waste Recycling Claims Submitted to the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) as of 3/24/09 |
| Year/Quarter |
Pounds Claimed |
Notes |
| 2005 Q1 |
8,894,933.90 |
|
| 2005 Q2 |
14,994,593.83 |
Approval rate for claims in 2005: 94.34% |
| 2005 Q3 |
17,232,051.54 |
|
| 2005 Q4 |
23,687,919.38 |
|
| 2006 Q1 |
25,141,627.83 |
Approval rate 2006: 98.43% |
| 2006 Q2 |
30,022,870.21 |
|
| 2006 Q3 |
35,806,671.85 |
|
| 2006 Q4 |
37,007,974.63 |
Due to a change in the regulations governing recycling payments, the pounds claimed in Q4 2006 are lower than they would have otherwise been under the previous regulations. |
|
| 2007 Q1 |
39,894,502.52 |
|
| 2007 Q2 |
45,089,857.40 |
Approval rate for claims in 2007: 94.34% |
| 2007 Q3 |
50,379,311.67 |
|
| 2007 Q4 |
49,195,025.29 |
|
| 2008 Q1 |
53,251,912.92 |
|
| 2008 Q2 |
57,331,555.27 |
Approval rate for claims in 2008: 92.71% |
| 2008 Q3 |
55,258,602.95 |
|
| 2008 Q4 |
50,222,510.28 |
|
The system collected 1.8 lbs/capita in 2005
The system collected 3.5 lbs/capita in 2006
The system collected 5.0 lbs/capita in 2007
The system collected 5.9 lbs/capita in 2007
CIWMB staff estimate that 97-98% of Covered Electronic Wastes (CEWs) claimed are CRTs. The remaining 2-3% are for “Other CEWs” – this would include LCD computer monitors, LCD TVs, laptops, and plasma TVs.
Outreach
www.eRecycle.org is the central website for all information relating to the Electronic Waste Recycling Act. The site includes links to PSAs and public education materials including downloadable point of purchase ads and banners.
Maine
Funding
The government in Maine does not provide funding for collection or recycling as part of its recycling statute. However, the Maine State Planning Office has provided over $500,000 in grants to municipalities and regional programs for the development of collection infrastructure. Local governments are responsible for collecting covered products from Maine households and getting the collected products to a designated consolidator, after which the costs are the responsibilty of each manufacturer. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection authorized 6 consolidators for 2008 who accept products collected by local governments, and bill each manufacturer for the number of its products returned and transportation costs from the point of consolidation to the recycler. The consolidators have been approved to charge manufacturers at rates varying from $0.09 - $0.27 per pound for handling, $.04 - $.15 per pound for transportation, and $.12 - $.19 per pound for recycling.
Recycling
In 2007, consolidators collected 4,688,552 lbs of covered products, or 3.5 lbs per capita.
Maine DEP 2006 Breakdown by Consolidator
Maine DEP 2007 Breakdown by Consolidator
NCER Maine E-Waste Collection Analysis (Jan-Dec 2006)
NCER Maine E-Waste Collection Analysis (Jan-Dec 2007)
NCER Maine E-Waste Collection Analysis (Jan-Dec 2008)
Washington
Funding
In 2009 all manufacturer compliance in Washington is executed through the Washington Materials Management and Financing Authority (WMMFA). According to the Q & A document produced by the WMMFA for the manufacturer invoices sent March 31, 2009 for Q3 2009 expenses, the WMMFA's average cost per pound through the first 2 months of the year is 24.1 cents per pound. Administrative costs are budgeted at 7.3% of the total with the balance as operational expenses.
Recycling Results
The WMMFA collected and recycled 6.5 million lbs. of covered electronic products during the first 2 months of the Washington program (Jan-Feb 2009). On an annualized basis this collection rate would result in a per capita collection rate of nearly 6 pounds per capita.
Oregon
Funding
Financing for the Oregon program is spread across several approved recycling programs - MRM, the State Contractor Program (SCP), IPR and Dell. Cost information for these programs is not available.
Recycling Results
Oregon DEQ announced that nearly 5 million pounds of covered electronic devices were collected and recycled during the first quarter of 2009 across all four approved programs. Dell collected and recycled 1,111,472 lbs., IPR 743,374 lbs., MRM 2,281,327 lbs. and the SCP 802,368 lbs.
Maryland
Funding
As part of the MD recycling law, the MD Department of the Environment collects annual registration fees from manufacturers of TVs, computer monitors, desktop computers and laptop computers. The fees vary depending on whether the manufacturer has implemented a takeback program. In 2006-07, the MDE collected $213,000 in manufacturer registrations. Total manufacturer registration fees collected by March 2008 were $500,000.
Recycling Results
The Maryland Department of the Environment used the funds collected in the 2005-06 to conduct an outreach and education campaign and a resident survey. A TV and radio campaign was established and executed. Separate from these program funds, 6,271,520 lbs of electronics were collected in calendar year 2006 (1.1 lbs/capita).
In 2007, the MDE was able to distribute $190,000 in grants to local governments for electronics recycling programs before the June 30th deadline to expend these collected funds. In calendar year 2007, MD collection programs, including those funded by the MDE grants, collected 8.7 million lbs or 1.55 lbs per capita. |
