Texas joins e-scrap recycling legislation club
Texas appears poised to stake its claim as part of a growing list of U.S. states to
implement a comprehensive electronics recovery program, as the Senate
unanimously passed House Bill 2714 going into the Memorial Holiday weekend.
Passed by a 137-to-0 vote, the measure has since been enrolled to Republican
Governor Rick Perry, who is expected to sign the bill into law.
Known as the Manufacturer Responsibility and Consumer Convenience
Computer Equipment Collection and Recovery Act, the individual-manufacturerresponsibility and shared-responsibility (consumers, retailers and state government)
system will require original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to establish a
comprehensive collection and recycling program for end-of-life electronics
equipment, including desktop and laptop computers, and computer monitors.
Under the program, which will be free-of-charge for consumers, an approved
recovery plan will consist of one of the following:
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A mail system in which the consumer could go online, print a pre-paid
shipping label, package the product and schedule an at-home pickup for
shipment back to the manufacturer
A staffed collection site that would be geographically central to the people
served
The establishment of at least one collection event for each calendar year that
was geographically central in location.
Manufacturers also could use existing collection and consolidation services — escrap processors, reuse organizations and non-profit corporations and retailers — to
recoup devices covered by the program. Additionally, OEMs will be required to
submit an annual report that documents and verifies the combined weight of
equipment collected, recycled and reused during the preceding calendar year.
Manufacturers that chose to forgo the labeling of its computer equipment, or fail
to adopt and implement a recovery plan will be issued a warning for its first
violation. A second violation will consist of a fine that will not exceed $10,000, while
each violation thereafter will include a fine of $25,000. All penalties collected under
the law will be deposited into the state's general revenue fund. The law will
commence September 1, 2007.
Source: E-Scrap News
Date: May 29, 2007