by Shane Henson — February 6, 2013—Pennsylvania business owners and consumers needing to get rid of computers and other covered electronic devices should not head to the trash. The state’s Covered Device Recycling Act (CDRA), passed in 2010, is now in effect, and requires that consumers and businesses dispose of covered computers and televisions, as well as peripherals such as keyboards and monitors, in a more sustainable manner.
Helping lead the way for other states, the CDRA requires that the covered devices and their components must be properly recycled and may not be taken to, or accepted by, landfills or other solid waste disposal facilities for disposal. This means that trash haulers will no longer take covered devices unless the municipality has a curbside electronics collection program that ultimately sends the devices to an electronics recycler.
The law further requires that manufacturers of the covered devices provide for the collection, transportation and recycling of these devices by establishing one-day events, permanent collection programs or mail-back programs for consumers. This is offered to consumers at no cost, says the DEP. Manufacturers must work with an electronics recycler that is properly permitted and certified to handle and process electronic waste.
Consumers can also recycle their electronics through a county or municipal electronic recycling program, if one is available, says the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which introduced the law. It is recommended that before taking any electronics to collection points or drop-off locations, consumers should first contact that location to see what types of electronics they accept.
“This law is an important step toward further reducing the amount of waste disposed in our landfills,” said Mike Krancer, secretary of DEP. “There will be a host of positive impacts from this law, such as deriving economic benefits from precious metals found in electronics, eliminating heavy metals in the environment, and encouraging environmental stewardship.”
According to the National Electronics Recycling Clearinghouse, 24 other states also have e-waste laws.
