Dive Brief:
- Illinois legislators recently cleared a logjam of electronic waste piling up in the state, by passing legislation that increases the volume of e-waste manufacturers must recycle. Passing both houses of the state legislature on May 19, HB1455 hiked requirements for manufacturers to recycle electronic waste, by approximately 13 million pounds over the next three years. The measure is waiting for Gov. Bruce Rauner's signature.
- Many recycling centers across the state haven’t been taking e-waste because manufacturers stopped paying for it after they reached their state-mandated recycling requirements last year.
- For 2015, the law requires that the total annual recycling goal will be 30.8 million pounds for manufacturers of televisions and computer monitors, and 15.8 million pounds for manufacturers of all other electronic devices. For 2016 and 2017, the total annual recycling goal for all manufacturers of televisions and computer monitors is 34 million pounds, and 15.6 million pounds for manufacturers of all other electronic devices.
Dive Insight:
The conundrum in Illinois points to a flaw in the current hodgepodge, state-by-state system of electronic waste recycling in the U.S. — market instability. People want to recycle e-waste and recyclers want to help, but a lack of viable markets for recycled e-waste hampers these efforts.
