Electronics Programs: Government

Several electronic product stewardship programs have been implemented in Washington, Oregon and California. Several of these activities and programs are a result of recent legislation. This page also includes studies, reports and initiatives that have helped inform electronic product recycling programs throughout the northwest.

E-Cycle Washington

E-Cycle Washington
The Electronic Product Recycling Law, Chapter 70.95N RCW, requires the manufacturers of computers, monitors and TVs (called covered products) to provide environmentally sound recycling of unwanted TVs, monitors, computers and laptops to residents, small businesses, small governments, special purpose districts and charities at no charge. The manufacturer-financed program called “E-Cycle Washington” began on January 1, 2009 and has collected nearly 26 million pounds of e-waste as of August 2009. This breaks down to roughly 2,200 units collected each day across the state of Washington that were diverted from landfills and illegal dumping.

The Electronic Product Recycling Law requires all manufacturers of covered products to register with the Department of Ecology, submit an administrative fee each year and participate in a recycling plan. If a manufacturer fails to register and pay the fee, their covered products may not be sold in or into Washington state after January 1, 2007. As of January 1, 2007, all computers, laptops, portable computers, televisions, and computer monitors sold or offered for sale, in or into Washington, must have a brand label permanently affixed to the product. Retailers can only sell covered products if the product carries a label with the brand name of the manufacturer.

The Washington Materials Management and Financing Authority (WMMFA) is the quasi-governmental organization created to implement the “Standard Plan” on behalf of the manufacturers. The WMMFA has a board of directors made up of 11 electronics manufacturers. All manufacturers participate in WMMFA’s Standard Plan unless they opt to submit an “Independent Plan” to manage their share of covered electronic products. Manufacturers that operate Independent Plans must comply with the same requirements as the Standard Plan.

Collectors and transporters are also required to register with the Department of Ecology. Check out the Collector's Focus Sheet (PDF file, 55KB) for guidance on how to be a collector in the Electronic Product Recycling Program.

Local governments in Washington State can use the E-Cycle Washington Local Government Toolkit (PDF file, 472KB) to find answers to questions, share information with residents and the community, and work with the media.

For an overview of the first eight months of the program view the fact sheet, Electronics Recycling in Washington: A Product Stewardship Solution (PDF file, 176KB). 2009 E-Cycle Washington Fact Sheet. Northwest Product Stewardship Council

Listen to comments from from Suellen Mele of the Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation and John Swiderski of the Washington Materials Management and Financing Authority (WMFFA) on environmental standards for the electronics recycling program in the March 26, 2008 KPLU News brief, Washington Prepares for E-Waste Recycling.

top of page

Oregon E-Cycles

Oregon E-Cycles 
Oregon E-Cycles, established by Oregon’s Electronics Recycling Law (ORS 459A.300-.365), is a statewide electronics recycling program that provides free recycling of computers, monitors and TVs to anyone bringing seven or fewer items to a participating collection site at one time. However, collection sites may accept more than seven items from households, small businesses and small 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The program is financed by electronics manufacturers and jointly implemented with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The program started on January 1, 2009 and has collected 9.54 million pounds of e-waste as of June 2009. An additional 13,910 units were diverted for reuse during the first six months of the program.

The 2012 Oregon E-Cycles Biennial Report to the Legislature (PDF) is available on the DEQ website, as well as a one-page Executive Summary (PDF). DEQ must submit a biennial report to the Legislature on the operations of Oregon E-Cycles under Oregon’s Electronics Recycling Law. 

Oregon E-Cycles requires both current and former manufacturers that sell or sold computers, monitors, or TVs in Oregon to annually register with DEQ, pay a registration fee, participate in a recycling program, and cover recycling costs. As of January 1, 2009, all computers, monitors and TVs must also have a visible brand label permanently affixed to the product. Both current and former manufacturers that fail to comply with Oregon E-Cycles requirements may be subject to penalties.

There are two types of recycling programs a manufacturer can participate in: the State Contractor Program (SCP) or a manufacturer program. Manufacturers are automatically participants in the SCP unless they meet certain requirements and choose to submit a plan to DEQ to operate an independent program. The SCP is run by an independent third party, the National Center for Electronics Recycling. There are currently three manufacturer programs: Dell, IPR and MRM.

Retailers are permitted to only sell brands of computers, monitors and TVs from manufacturers that are listed on DEQ’s manufacturer compliance list as “compliant” or “pending.” This restriction applies to all sales methods including retail, catalog, phone and internet sales. Retailers must also provide customers who buy new computers, monitors and TVs with printed information about Oregon E-Cycles at the point of sale.

The new law prohibits disposal of computers, monitors and TVs in Oregon beginning January 1, 2010. More information about the ban is available on DEQ’s Web site. DEQ has also developed outreach materials for disposal facilities, haulers, local governments and others to use to educate the public about Oregon E-Cycles and the disposal ban.

top of page

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Oregon Electronic Scrap Baseline Survey. 
(PDF file, 1.1MB) The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality just completed a statewide survey of the e-scrap collectors and handlers/processors in Oregon. The study was conducted:

  • to assess Oregon's current collection and processing infrastructure;
  • to gather information about the current management practices of handlers/processors and;
  • to collect data on the quantities of e-scrap that was recovered in 2005 in Oregon.

 

top of page

National Electronic Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI)

NEPSI was a national dialogue involving 45 stakeholders and over 30 observers, including all levels of government, electronics manufacturers, environmental groups, recyclers, and retailers. The dialogue was initiated in April 2001 as a one year process. The goal of NEPSI was to develop a voluntary national product stewardship system that would include a viable financing mechanism to maximize the collection, reuse, and recycling of used electronic products.

After four years of work, the NEPSI negotiations came to a close on April 15, 2005. The final NEPSI meeting was held on February 9 and 10, 2004 in Portland, Oregon. At the meeting, NEPSI stakeholders developed a compromise resolution that was to serve as guidance toward establishing a national electronics management system. The first action to be undertaken and resolved was industry-wide consensus on a financing model that would be supported by a significant portion of the market share of both the information technology (IT) and consumer electronics (CE) sectors. Several deadlines for reaching an agreement on the financing model came and went without a consensus and a decision was made to close down NEPSI.

The group did come to consensus on a number of issues surrounding a national electronics recycling infrastructure including the specific electronic products that would be covered under a national program:

  • TV/TV Monitors (CRTs and flat panels)
  • Stand alone computer CRT and flat panel monitors greater than 9 inches
  • Laptop/notebook computers
  • CPUs
  • Small peripherals (mice, keyboards, cables, speakers)
  • Consumer desktop devices (printers and multifunction devices)

 

Other documents finalized by NEPSI include a description of the Collection Incentive Payment, Environmentally-Sound Management Protocol, Advanced Recovery Fee/Partial Cost Internalization Hybrid System, Hybrid System Transition and Guidelines for Performance Goals/Measures. These documents can be found on the NEPSI Web site.

The Northwest Product Stewardship Council sent two representatives to the table including a steering committee member from Snohomish County who represented local governments. Local and state government agencies coordinated comments and input to NEPSI via the National Product Stewardship Institute (PSI). More information on the NEPSI process, including a list of stakeholders is available at the NEPSI web site.

top of page

Proposed Financing Systems for E-Waste Recycling Programs

The State of Washington and the National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) are proposing various systems for financing electronics collection and recycling programs. The following document and charts, developed by Snohomish County, provide explanations of how these systems might work: 

top of page

Products: 
Electronics
Content Type: 
Links
Resource: 
Resource
Program Type: 
Government
Locations: 
Oregon
Washington