Indiana becomes 19th state to mandate e-waste recycling

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels passed a major electronics recycling law when he signed HB 1589 into law. This makes Indiana the nineteenth state to pass a law creating a statewide e-waste recycling program. Eighteen of these 19 states, including Indiana, have adopted “producer takeback” laws, requiring the manufacturers to pay for the collection and recycling of old products.

The Indiana law requires manufacturers of video display devices (TVs, monitors, and laptops) to collect and recycle 60 percent by weight of the volume of products they sold in the previous year in Indiana. After the first two years, manufacturers who fail to meet those goals will pay an additional recycling fee for every pound they fall short of their goal.

The program allows consumers, public schools and small businesses to recycle a larger group of products for free, including TVs, computers, laptops, keyboards, printers, fax machines, DVD players, and video cassette recorders. The program begins collection in April 2010.

The Indiana Recycling Coalition has championed producer responsibility in Indiana as a practical and effective way to reduce electronic waste. They presented this issue to the legislature’s Environmental Quality Service Council in October 2008, and led support for the bill throughout the session.

E-waste recycling laws are under consideration in several states, including Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Colorado, Kentucky, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Utah. Hawaii, Missouri, and Texas are considering laws that would add televisions to their current laws, which only cover computer recycling.