Electronics Recycling Programs Might Have Been Saved By ‘Short-Term Fix’ Bill
Electronics HB1455 is now PA99-0013, and that could be good news for Kane County residents who want to recycle electronics.
The “electronics short-term fix bill” was passed unanimously by both the Illinois House and Senate and will become law once it’s signed by Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.
The new law amends the Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act, increases manufacturers’ recycling goals from 50 percent to 80 percent for televisions and computer monitors and imposes penalties when those goals are not met. The present law imposes penalties when less than 70 percent of those goals are met.
The new law also prohibits recyclers and refurbishers from imposing a recycling fee on units of local government acting as collectors unless the recycler or the refurbisher also provides: 1) a financial incentive that is of greater value than the fee being charged; or 2) a premium service, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
The new law is expected to add 10 million more pounds of residential electronic recycling to manufacturers’ goals and allowed CRT glass to be treated and stored in a retrievable storage cell within Illinois, lowering the cost and questions raised by shipping it out of the country. The law is expected to keep programs across Illinois viable until a permanent approach can be reached between industry and government.
Kane County Recycling Coordinator Jennifer Jarland praised the lawmakers, environmental groups and business professionals who worked together to change the law.
“Kane County is proud to have been able to work with eWorks Electronics Services to keep our electronic recycling programs available to residents throughout the past year of diminished manufacturer goals, bankruptcies and closures that impacted communities throughout the state,” she said.
A public hearing date has been set for July 29, and the comment period ends Oct. 1, 2015, according the the IEPA website and the Public Notice.
About the Program
SOURCE: IEPA
Public Act 97-0287 (Electronic Products Recycling & Reuse Act) establishes a statewide system for recycling and/or reusing the items listed below discarded from residences by requiring electronic manufacturers to participate in the management of discarded and unwanted electronic products.
Covered and Eligible Devices
Effective Jan. 1, 2012, all of the covered electronic devices listed below are banned from landfills.
- Televisions
- Monitors
- Printers
- Computers (laptop, notebook, netbook, tablet, desktop)
- Electronic Keyboards
- Facsimile Machines
- Videocassette Recorders
- Portable Digital Music Players
- Digital Video Disc Players
- Video Game Consoles
- Small Scale Servers
- Scanners
- Electronic Mice
- Digital Converter Boxes
- Cable Receivers
- Satellite Receivers
- Digital Video Disc Recorders
Eligible Electronic Devices
- Cell Phones
- Portable Digital Assistant (PDA)
- Computer Cable
- Zip Drive
Consumer
- List of Registered Residential E-Waste Collection Sites
- For additional recycling options, please visit the manufacturers take back programs.
Other
