Expanded Illinois E-Waste Law in Effect
On August 10, 2011, Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation amending the Illinois Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act. The new law took immediate effect. It expands the scope of covered electronic devices from computers, computer monitors, televisions, or printers to also encompass electronic keyboards, facsimile machines, video cassette recorders, portable digital music players, digital video disc players, video game consoles, electronic mice, scanners, digital converter boxes, cable receivers, satellite receivers and small-scale servers.
Under the new law, beginning in program year 2013, each manufacturer is required to reuse or recycle at least 50% of the total weight of the electronic devices it manufactured and sold in Illinois during the previous two calendar years. For program year 2012, each manufacturer must reuse or recycle at least 40% of the total weight of its electronic devices based on 2010 sales. Manufacturers calculate their annual recycling or reuse goals using their own sales data.
Environmental groups are applauding the state's efforts, expecting statewide e-recycling to climb from 28 million pounds in 2011 to more than 50 million pounds in 2012.
