FRANKFORT(February 24, 2010) –Senator Denise Harper Angel, D-Louisville, is seeking legislation to put Kentucky ahead of the curve in the disposal of electronic scrap (e-scrap).
E-scrap is the most rapidly growing segment of the municipal waste stream. Electronic devices, such as televisions and computers, amount to about 200 million pounds of waste in landfills each year. Much of this material is hazardous and toxic creating a serious public safety and environmental issue.
Senate Bill 160, sponsored by Senator Harper Angel, establishes a recycling program for televisions and electronic devices under the supervision of the Department for Environmental Protection. The program is only available to consumers who use the electronics for personal or home business use.
“Reusing or recycling electronic devices that may otherwise end up in a landfill would conserve the natural resources consumed during the production of new electronic devices and reduce the greenhouse gases emitted as a result of the manufacturing process,” said Senator Harper Angel, who is sponsoring this bill for the second year.
Lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame-retardants included in electronic devices can be harmful to people and to the environment if not disposed of properly.
Senator Robin Webb, D-Grayson, while in the House of Representatives, laid the groundwork for this legislation in 2007 as sponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 131, which created an E-scrap Task Force to study ways to increase recycling of electronic waste.
“Technological advancements have spawned a lucrative electronics industry whose backbone is variety of small, popular, handheld devices like mp3 players and PDAs,” said Senator Webb. “Many of these electronic devices quickly become obsolete or damaged, and are thrown away, which is generating tons of e-scrap waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that e-scrap constitutes approximately one to two percent of the solid waste stream and that approximately three billion units of e-scrap will be disposed of over the remainder of this decade. This is an issue that needs to be addressed now.”
During the 2008 Session, Senator Harper Angel sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 76, which directed the Department for Environmental Protection to make recommendations for a comprehensive statewide system for electronic waste disposal and recycling, which SB 160 follows.
The bill proposes that manufacturers of more than 1,000 televisions sold in Kentucky per year would have the responsibility of registering with the Department for Environmental Protection and paying a $1,500 annual registry fee to help cover costs incurred through the recycling program. Those manufacturers also would be required to permanently affix their trademark or logo on all TVs sold in the commonwealth. They would further be obligated to recycle or provide for the recycling of their own televisions according to their market share, which is calculated by dividing sales in Kentucky by weight from the previous year of all TV sales.
Consumers would be able to access how and where to return their end-of-life televisions for recycling on a website maintained by the department.
Covered electronic devices are identified as laptop and desktop computers, computer monitors, printers, keyboards, mice and mp3 players. Under this legislation, manufacturers of more than 1,000 sold in Kentucky would be required to permanently brand new devices sold in the state and provide take-back programs for these devices. Manufacturers also would have to register with the Department for Environmental Protection and pay a yearly registry fee of $1,500.
Manufacturers will be required to provide for the collection, transportation, and either recycling or reuse of its device through such means as a mail-back system.
“Under this bill, Kentucky consumers will have new options for proper disposal of old computers, TVs, the small, popular handheld devices such as mp3 players and other e-scrap,” said Senator Harper Angel.
Based on Environmental Protection Agency estimates, approximately 100,000 tons of e-scrap was available for disposal in Kentucky in 2007, with only 18 to 20 percent being recycled.
“Nationwide, the EPA estimates that the number of obsolete computers that have been discarded per year has doubled over the past nine years to 40 million computers per year,” said Senator Harper Angel. “We have to change those numbers.”
SB 160 also directs the Department for Environmental Protection to host a working group to study non-consumer e-scrap recycling programs and the effect of a potential landfill ban on e-scrap in Kentucky. The findings of the working group are to be reported to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2010.
Currently 19 states and New York City have enacted e-scrap laws. Five of Kentucky’s seven border states – Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia – already have this legislation.
Senate Bill 160 has been assigned to the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee.
Senator Harper Angel represents the 35th district, which includes a portion of Jefferson County. Senator Webb represents the 18th district, which includes Bracken, Carter, Greenup, Lewis, Mason and Robertson counties.
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