All About California Electronics Recycling

In this day and age, popular and pervasive buzz words are all about “going green”, being “eco-friendly”, and saving our environment. One type of item which is currently receiving a lot of press is electronics recycling in California. Because electronics equipment is made with various chemical and hazardous substances, disposing of used or outdated items is a concern not only because it excessively fills our landfills, but because it affects soil and water quality. And because electronics become outdated so quickly, the problem is quickly escalating.

In particular, one state has become adamant enough about the need for proper disposal of such devices that recent legislation has been enacted. To address concerns regarding electronics recycling, California passed the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003. In effect, this legislation involves certain regulations regarding the sale and recycling of any electronics products.

These are the four key initiatives the statute has attempted to address:

• Reducing the hazardous substances in electronics products which are sold in the state of California
• Collecting a recycling fee at point of sale to pay for the disposal of electronics
• Offering payments to qualified entities who recover and recycle electronics products
• Requiring state agencies to comply with certain criteria when purchasing their electronic equipment

For additional details you can access the state of California Electronic Waste Recycling Act webpage.

What the California Recycling Statute Means to You

This legislation is important for a variety of reasons relating to electronics recycling in California and anyone who purchases such products.

For the consumer, it means paying an additional fee at the time an electronics device is purchased from a vendor. The fee is used to fund the disbursement of payments to qualified entities who are in the business of electronics recycling in California.

For the entrepreneur, it presents an excellent opportunity to take advantage of this program by becoming a registered recycling partner with the state. Retailers are required to remit the collected fees and those fees are used to fund payments in return for proper disposal and recycling of qualifying products. Since the legislation was first enacted, the fees have already been increased effective as of June of this year.

There will be no reduction any time soon in the amount of electronics equipment that Americans purchase. In fact, rapidly changing technology means that if anything, the amount of electronics devices most households deem to be a requirement will surely increase. The time has never been better to take advantage of the current policy and start a business electronics recycling in California.