Victory! On June 7, the Governor signed into law a bill to establish an electronics recycling program. HB 2626 would establish free and convenient statewide recycling for computers, monitors, and TVs, paid for by the product's manufacturers.

Background

The average Oregonian with a pile of TVs, computers, or monitors in their attic or basement knows we have a problem with electronics products: what do we do with them when we’re done using them? And with a new electronic gadget on store shelves every few months, there’s more and more waste piling up.

Electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the United States. It creates a garbage problem as more and more of these products end up in landfills, and it also creates an environmental health problem. Computers and TVs contain toxic materials like lead and mercury that can leach out of landfills into groundwater.

Environment Oregon is working to set up a free and convenient system to collect computers and TVs from consumers for re-use and recycling, paid for by manufacturers of the products. “Producer responsibility” is a relatively new concept for managing waste—requiring the company that put the product on the store shelf to make sure it gets taken care of at the end of its life. This policy saves the government money on solid waste programs, and it also gives manufacturers an incentive to design products that last longer, create less waste, are easier to recycle and contain fewer toxic materials.

Oregon Reps. Jackie Dingfelder (Portland) and Scott Bruun (West Linn) and Senator Frank Morse (Corvallis) are working with Environment Oregon to pass House Bill 2626, which would create an electronic waste reuse and recycling program paid for by electronics manufacturers.