HB 1498

Brief Description: Improving reports on electronic waste collection.

Sponsors: Representatives Upthegrove, Short and Ryu.

Hearing Date: 2/7/13

Staff: Jacob Lipson (786-7196).

Background:

Since 2009, the E-Cycle program has allowed for the recycling of electronic waste at no direct cost to consumers. Electronic products covered by the E-Cycle law include televisions, monitors, computers, laptops, and tablets. Accessories such as computer keyboards are not recyclable through E-Cycle.

Under the E-Cycle law, manufacturers of covered electronic products are required to participate in an electronics recycling program. The E-Cycle law allows for the establishment of multiple electronics recycling programs, should manufacturers choose to develop alternative programs. However, to date, the only electronics recycling program that has been established is operated by the Washington Materials Management and Financing Authority (WMMFA), a public body whose creation was required by the E-Cycle law. The Department of Ecology (DOE) oversees certain WMMFA activities, including reviewing program plans and operations, and enforcing provisions of the E-Cycle law. Manufacturers fund WMMFA operations through payments based on a combination of each manufacturer's:

• percentage by weight of electronic products sold in the state ("market share"); and

• percentage by weight of electronic products collected through E-Cycle ("return share").

To determine the "return share" attributable to each manufacturer participating in the program, the E-Cycle law establishes 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 electronic products by brand name and product type.

The WMMFA and any other entities which operate electronics recycling programs under the E-Cycle law must file an annual report with the DOE. Among the items that must be included in the annual report are:

• the total weight, reported by county, of electronic products collected through E-Cycle;

• lists of recycling processors used by the program, manufacturers participating in the program, and collection services and sites established by the program; and

• the results of the sampling of collected electronics by brand names and product types.

Summary of Bill:

The WMMFA and other electronic product recycling programs must include certain information as part of the annual report filed with the DOE. The additional information that must be incorporated into the annual report includes:

• the total weight of collected products by type of electronic product and by collection site;

• a description of the collection, transportation, recycling, and processing methods used by the program;

• an estimate of the weight of each type of material recovered after processing of the collected materials;

• an estimate of the percentage, by weight, of materials collected under the program that are ultimately re-used, recycled, or disposed of as residual waste;

• a description of program costs and revenues, including an independent financial audit of the program, and information on the average cost of the program per unit of covered electronic product collected;

• a detailed accounting of costs associated with program delivery and administration; and

• a description of how program costs and the amount of waste collected has changed relative to previous years.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.