House Committee considers legislation to simplify & expand county ‘e-recycling’ opportunities
Rep. Lisa Borowski October 30, 2023 | 3:32 PM
HARRISBURG, Oct. 30 – The House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee today considered H.B. 1607, sponsored by state Rep. Lisa Borowski, D-Delaware.
Borowski said H.B. 1607 would allow Pennsylvania counties to participate in a collaborative e-waste recycling collection program comprising local governments, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the manufacturing, recycling and retail industries. Counties would be able to opt into participating in the program for the benefit of their residents, who would be given access to convenient collection sites and events at no cost to themselves or their municipalities.
“While current statute already requires manufacturers in the state to provide recycling opportunities for some devices, like computers and TVs, that system isn’t keeping up with disposal demands,” Borowski said. “Some Pennsylvanians are paying fees as high as $200 to recycle their out-of-date or unusable electronics. Those who can’t afford that fee are resorting to illegally dumping their devices in landfills, streams and forests. We can do better by our residents.”
Another issue with the current statute – the Covered Device Recycling Act (Act 108 of 2010) – is that it calls for the amount of e-waste recycling to be diminished every two years. But that no longer makes sense, Borowski explained, because while the rate of technological advancement grows exponentially, so does the number of electronics rendered obsolete as new models become available. Plus, the advent of “smart” devices keeps introducing new types of electronics to our lives, such as smart refrigerators, thermostats, vacuum cleaners, light bulbs and more.
The committee also heard supporting testimony from Faran Savitz, a zero waste advocate with PennEnvironment.
“Unlike most of our solid waste, electronics should not be going to a landfill or incinerator,” Savitz said. “In fact, in Pennsylvania, it’s illegal to include most e-waste in our solid waste – they contain heavy metals, combustible parts and toxins that need to be disposed of in a proper manner.”
The bill is not yet scheduled for a committee vote.
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