E-waste: California's government-managed program ranks 7th in per capita collection

By Bill Sheehan, Executive Director

 A new fact sheet by Barbara Kyle of the Electronics Take-Back Coalition asks the question: How does the California e-waste program compare to other states?

California, the first state to pass an e-waste recycling law, established a consumer fee model. Consumers pay a fee at purchase on covered products

(video displays and portable DVD players) which go into a recycling fund administered by the State, reimbursing recyclers and collectors. 

Twenty three other states have adopted the “extended producer responsibility” model known as EPR. These require the manufacturers to take financial responsibility for collecting and recycling used electronics.

 

The fact sheet looks only at collection rates.  The bottom line:  California ranks 7^th in terms of pounds collected per capita, despite its being in operation the longest and including e-waste from business which most other states don’t include.