SB 20 (Sher, 2003) Electronic Waste Recycling Act
On January 1, 2005, California enacted pioneering legislation to implement an electronic waste recovery and recycling program modeled after the European Economic Union's Product Stewardship Initiative. The intent of SB 20 was to provide cost-free recycling opportunities for consumers, to reduce/prevent illegal dumping of electronic waste (and reduction in e-waste "stockpiling"), and to decrease the hazardous materials entering the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream.
The Good News: Numbers to-date
- According to state waste and recycling data, California generated approximately 140,000 tons of CEDs in 2005, with more than 60 million pounds of this electronic waste taken back for recycling through the program. In 2006, this number rose to more than 120 million pounds recycled and in 2007, the number is more than 135 million pounds.
- For 2006, the recycling rate for covered electronics was 29%, up almost twice as much as the previous year in 2005, when the recovery rate was at 14%.
- CIWMB paid out approximately $61 million in reimbursements to recyclers in 2006. In 2007, that number rose to $76 million in reimbursements.
- California's SB 20 program was responsible for recycling 20% of all of the e-waste recycled in the country in 2006.
- Since enactment of SB 20, more than 590 recycling locations have been established statewide.
AB 2901 (Pavley, 2004) Cell Phone Takeback and Recycling
This law requires some of California's largest cell phone retailers to embrace the takeback/recycling model and collect used cell phones, at no cost to the consumer, to be reused, recycled or properly disposed.
AB 1125 (Pavley, 2005) Rechargeable Battery Takeback and Recycling
AB 1125 was modeled after the same takeback concept of the cell phone bill. AB 1125 requires all retailers that sell rechargeable batteries to accept back used rechargeable batteries at no cost to the consumer. This legislation creates convenience and incentive for consumers: it's easy to drop off and recycle end-of-life batteries (and cell phones) at locations statewide, and consumers then feel good about doing the right thing with their disposables.
