The Electronics EPR Evolution

by Lelande Rehard, MPA
Senior Associate, Policy & Programs

There are electronics EPR laws in 23 states and the District of Columbia, but some are out of date and PSI is working to update these laws in many states. This month, legislative and regulatory changes to New York’s program will go into effect – the culmination of a decade’s worth of work and well worth it, as they set an example for other states.

In 2012, funded by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), PSI analyzed the ecycleNYC program and worked with the New York Product Stewardship Council (NYPSC) to recommend short- and long-term changes, which included clarifying funding obligations, designing effective awareness and outreach campaigns, increasing accountability for collectors and processors, and accepting covered devices year-round. Two years later, supported by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Coalition for American Electronics Recyclers, eGreen Recycling Management, and Maven Technologies, as well as NRDC and NYPSC, we hosted a summit for stakeholders, then collaborated with NYPSC to propose changes to the program. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation addressed the issues raised in the report, summit, and NYPSC comments; the resulting changes went into effect on January 1. They include: strengthening requirements for manufacturer responsibilities for program costs, improving collection site convenience and public education requirements, and clarifying and improving requirements for collection sites and recycling facilities.

Meanwhile, in 2022 we worked in South Carolina, collaborating with the state agency and SWANA to draft an amendment to their law with a focus on greater consumer convenience. And we worked with stakeholders in Alaska to adjust our model electronics EPR legislation to address that state’s unique transportation challenges and lack of existing infrastructure. We also began to collaborate with Oregon state and local governments and other stakeholders to update one of the earliest electronics EPR programs in the United States.

In 2017, we provided recommendations to the Illinois Product Stewardship Council, which worked with the Consumer Technology Association to shift the electronics EPR law in that state from a weight-based to a convenience-based program.

Across the board, our goal is to ensure that both existing and emerging programs provide convenient collection services and ensure that program costs continue to be internalized by manufacturers. Learn more about our perspective on electronics EPR by clicking here.