SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 1498

As Reported by Senate Committee On:

Energy, Environment & Telecommunications, April 2, 2013

Title: An act relating to improving reports on electronic waste collection.

Brief Description: Improving reports on electronic waste collection.

Sponsors: House Committee on Environment (originally sponsored by Representatives Upthegrove, Short and Ryu).

Brief History: Passed House: 3/06/13, 94-3.

Committee Activity: Energy, Environment & Telecommunications: 3/26/13, 4/02/13 [DP].

Majority Report: Do pass.

Signed by Senators Ericksen, Chair; Sheldon, Vice Chair; Ranker, Ranking Member; Billig, Brown, Chase, Cleveland, Honeyford and Litzow.

Staff: Jan Odano (786-7486)

Background: The E-Cycle program provides free recycling of a covered electronic product (CEP), which includes computers, monitors, laptops, and televisions, for households, charities, small businesses, school districts, and small governments. All manufacturers of a CEP sold, or previously sold, in or into the state must participate in a recycling plan that provides for collecting, transporting, and recycling of CEPs. The Department of Ecology (Ecology) reviews all plans for compliance and operation and enforces the E-Cycle law.

The Washington Materials Management and Financing Authority (WMMFA), created under the E-Cycle law, is responsible for implementing the standard plan for collecting, transporting, and recycling the equivalent shares of each participating manufacturer. Manufacturers are automatically included as participants in the standard plan. If certain criteria are met, a manufacturer or group of manufacturers may implement their own independent plan. To date, no manufacturers are participating in an independent plan.

Manufacturers must pay WMMFA to cover all administrative and operational costs associated with the collection, transportation, and recycling of CEPs. WMMFA assesses a charge to each participating manufacturer-based return share – CEPs collected for recycling, and market share – CEPs sold in the state. The return share is determined through a sampling mechanism designed to produce statistically significant information regarding the brand names collected for each type of electronic product, the number of electronic products collected by product type, and the weight of CEPs by brand name and type.

The collection services for E-Cycle programs must be provided in every county and in rural and urban areas of the state. For any city or town with a population greater than 10,000 there must be at least one collection site or an alternative form of collection such as curbside service. In rural areas, collection of CEPs may be provided at commercial centers or solid waste facilities. The program must provide processing free of charge for small businesses, small governments, charities, and school districts that have large quantities of CEPs that are too large for collection sites or curbside services.

Every year, WMMFA, or any other authorized party representing independent plans, must submit a report to Ecology on the preceding program year. The report must include information such as:

• total weight of CEPs collected and recycled by county;

• weight of CEPs received in large quantities from small businesses, small governments, charities, and school districts;

• collection services and sites;

• results of sampling and sorting; and

• a list of participating manufacturers and recyclers.

Summary of Bill: The annual reporting requirements for WMMFA or other CEP recycling programs are revised to include the following:

• total weight of each type of CEP collected and recycled by county;

• an estimate of the weight of each type of material recovered after processing recycled CEPs;

• an estimate of the percentage, by weight, of all collected CEPs that are reused, recycled, or disposed of as residual waste;

• a description of program revenues and costs, including the average costs of the program per pound of CEP collected;

• a detailed account of the costs for program administration and delivery; and

• a description of program methods for collecting, transporting, recycling, and processing CEPs.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This bill will provide transparency for the program. It will allow the collection of useful data when considering if the program should go forward.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Vicki Christophersen, WA Refuse and Recycling Assn.