Back in November, I wrote a post about proposed legislation to address electronics recycling challenges in Illinois. As explained in that post, in 2014 there were funding shortfalls for electronics recycling programs throughout the state, as manufacturers met their recycling quotas early in the year, after which they were no longer required to pay for processing of devices by recyclers. In response, Rep. Emily McAsey proposed an amendment to IL House Bill 4042, which would increase recycling goals so that manufacturers would be required to recycle 100% (up from 50%) of the total weight of covered electronic devices sold in Illinois during the calendar year two years prior to the applicable program year. It would also prevent local governments acting as collectors from being charged a fee by registered refurbishers or recyclers to recycle or refurbish covered and eligible electronic devices, unless they are provided either a financial incentive (such as a coupon of equal or greater value than the fee being charged) or a premium service (such as curbside collection, home pick up, or similar method of collection), the latter being more applicable for local governments. Electronics recycling is already free for individual consumers in IL, under these same conditions.
Since then, compromise bills have been drafted, in response to opposition from the Illinois Manufacturers Association regarding raising the recycling goal to 100% of of devices sold, as reported by Lauren Leone-Cross for Suburban Life Publications, in the 2/10/15 article, Compromise possible in state’s recycling programs. The latest proposals increase manufacturers’ recycling weight goals to 80 percent of the weight of products they sold in Illinois two years ago, and allowing units of local government acting as collectors to collect a fee from consumers who drop off covered and eligible electronic devices for recycling.
For the text and status of related bills, visit the following links:
Updates will also be posted to the “U.S. State & Local Legislation” page on the SEI web site as they become available.
