Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation
2006 Washington StatE
 e-waste legislation

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Launch Electronic Waste Recycling

View the Bill's history in the legislature

View Press Release about Bill's Passage

The Washington State legislature has passed a landmark bill providing free, simple and safe Electronic Waste Recycling.  WCRC worked with other environmental groups, retailers, and manufacturers to support this legislation introduced in the 2006 legislative session.  

The bill is a shared responsibility approach in which all stakeholders will have a role to play.  Retailers, local governments, recyclers, and charities will be encouraged to provide collection sites.  Consumers will bring e-waste to those collection sites.  Manufacturers will establish and pay for programs. 

Responsible e-waste recycling will conserve natural resources and is good for the economy of the state, creating business opportunities and jobs.

Highlights of the bill include:

  • Convenient no-charge recycling of computers and TVs for residents, schools, charities, small businesses and small governments.

  • Service available in every county of the state in both rural and urban areas.

  • Manufacturers establish and pay for the collection and recycling of their fair share of the equipment.  This gives manufacturers a built-in financial incentive to design greener products that use fewer toxins and are more easily recycled.

  • To fulfill their responsibilities, manufacturers will join a standard program operated by a quasi-governmental organization.  Alternately, they may finance and operate their own collection and recycling programs if they meet certain criteria.

View and print out background information on the e-waste issue

View a summary of the bill

"Give people sensible ways to recycle their e-waste" (Joan Crooks - executive director of the Washington Environmental Council, Seattle Times, October 13, 2005.)

Priorities for a Healthy Washington 

Launching electronic waste recycling has been selected by the environmental community as one of its 2006 legislative Priorities for a Healthy Washington.  WCRC, Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters have taken the lead on the e-waste priority. 

This is the fourth year that many environmental groups in Washington have worked together to establish legislative priorities and to communicate a concise and consistent message to legislators and the governor’s office.  For information about the 2006 Priorities for a Healthy Washington, go to www.environmentalpriorities.org

  Washington E-Waste Study

In 2004, the Washington State legislature passed HB 2488, which requires the Department of Ecology to submit recommendations to the legislature for implementing and financing statewide recycling of obsolete computers and TVs.  To consult with stakeholders, Ecology created an electronics advisory committee.  WCRC participated on that committee, advocating for a shared responsibility approach in which manufacturers finance e-waste collection and recycling programs.

After more than a year of careful research and listening to the diverse interests of stakeholders, Ecology has released its draft report. The report is consistent with the approach supported by WCRC.  

For information about Washington’s study process, go to http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/ewaste/

 For more about HB 2488, go to http://wastenotwashington.org/prc--legislation.htm


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