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RWM Home > Programs > E-Waste > Maine's Household Television and Computer Monitor Recycling Law

Maine's Household Television and Computer Monitor Recycling Law

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Shared Responsibility for Recycling

No later than July 20, 2006, municipalities must ensure that waste televisions and computer monitors generated by households in Maine are recycled (unless the municipality chooses to include televisions and computer monitors in its mixed MSW waste stream for disposal outside of Maine if allowed by the receiving jurisdiction). Prior to that, beginning January 18, 2006, manufacturers must pay the cost of consolidation and recycling of these items when they are handled by specified consolidators. ( Maine law already requires the recycling of all CRTs generated by businesses; there is no SQG exemption.) Here are the major responsibilities under this law:

•  Municipalities are responsible for ensuring a system for delivery of residential waste televisions and computer monitors to a consolidation facility in Maine . Each municipality decides whether it wants to operate an on-going collection center, do regular one-day collections, or have their residents deliver directly to a near-by consolidator.

•  Each manufacturer is responsible for paying the consolidators for the costs of handling, transportation and recycling of their own television and computer monitor products plus a pro rata share of orphan products from receipt at the consolidator through recycling. Also, each manufacturer must provide Maine DEP with a plan for compliance by March 1, 2005, and annual reports on the recycling of its products generated as waste in Maine .

•  Consolidation facilities are responsible for counting waste household televisions and computer monitors by manufacturer, and for annually providing this accounting to Maine DEP (consolidators may contract with recyclers to provide the count by manufacturer). Consolidation facilities are also responsible for shipping only to recyclers that provide certification of meeting Maine 's ESM Guidelines , and for billing manufacturers for allowable costs.

•  Recyclers are responsible for providing consolidators with a sworn statement that its handling, processing, refurbishment and recycling of computer monitors and televisions meet environmentally sound management guidelines published by Maine DEP.

•  Retailers are responsible for ensuring they only sell products of manufacturers that are in compliance with Maine 's E-Waste Law.

•  Maine DEP is responsible for publishing Environmentally Sound Management Guidelines for recyclers, for adopting rules on allowable costs, and for annually calculating each manufacturer's pro rata share of orphan products. (The Maine SPO has provided over $500,000 in grants to municipalities and regional programs for the development of collection infrastructure.)

Advantages of the Maine approach:

•  Flexibility provided to each municipality to determine the best approach to collection and transportation to consolidation facilities for their residents.

•  Cost to municipalities limited; municipalities have option of imposing minimal end-of life fee to cover their costs.

•  Manufacturer costs begin from point of consolidation of a minimum quantity that provides economies in shipping. Manufacturers have option of reclaiming their product from consolidators.

•  Cost of recycling orphan products is to be shared by current manufacturers proportional to their share of the waste stream. System can be set up to defray manufacturer's orphan share by a factor based on manufacturer collection/take-back programs.

•  System does not increase the demands on state government resources to manage an ARF system and/or to enforce an ARF system on retailers.

•  System directs recycling of collected products to recyclers that meet Maine DEP-published ESM Guidelines.