State Legislation
States Are Passing E-Waste Legislation
So far, 25 states have passed legislation mandating statewide e-waste recycling. Several more states are working on passing new laws or improving existing laws. All laws except California and Utah use the Producer Responsibility approach, where the manufacturers must pay for recycling. This means that 65% of the population of the U.S. is now covered by a state e-waste recycling law.
How Do The Laws Work?
States with e-waste recycling laws.
Brief Comparison of State E-Waste Laws. This chart compares all the state e-waste laws against basic criteria.
Scope of Products in E-waste Laws This chart compares the scope of products of all e-waste laws. Generally, the scope of products is getting broader, with more recent laws including more products including printers, faxes, and other devices.
How Much E-waste Comes Back Under State Programs?
This chart shows collection volumes from the states with e-waste programs. Compares results between states, by converting to pounds per person basis. You can see a significant range in results.
Lessons-Learned-from-State-E-waste-laws
What have we learned from the 25 states that have passed e-waste laws? What are the conclusions and policy recommendations based on those lessons learned?
States Where You Can’t Throw E-Waste Into the Trash. Which states have passed laws keeping e-waste out of landfills and/or incinerators?
Find many more tools and more information on our state legislative toolkit page.
Details on the State Laws and Programs
| State | Date signed into Law | Start date for recycling | Link to Law or bill | State program website |
| States and Cities with Producer Responsibility Laws | ||||
| Connecticut | July 2007 | Rulemaking delayed start of collection until early 2011. | CT law | Program info |
| Hawaii | July 2008 | Jan 2, 2010 | Hawaii law |
State agency website |
| Illinois | Sept 17, 2008 | Jan 1, 2010 | Illinois Law 2008 2011 Amendments |
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| Indiana | May 13, 2009 | April 1, 2010 | Indiana Law Summary of law | Agency Website |
| Maine | 2004 initial law 2009 – expanded scope of products 2011 – expands covered entities |
Initial program began Jan 2006 | Maine Law 2011: Bill expanding recycling to cover schools, non profits, small business: |
Program Info 2010 Report on program |
| Maryland | 2005 | Jan 2006 | Maryland Law | Program Info |
| Michigan | Dec 26, 2008 | April 1, 2010 | Michigan Law | Agency website |
| Minnesota | May 2007 | August 2007 | Minnesota Law | Program Info 2010 report to legislature. 2011 Report to legislature |
| Missouri | June 16, 2008 | July 1 2010 or after | Missouri billDraft Rules | State agency program website |
| New Jersey | Signed Jan 15, 2008 Amended bill signed Jan 12, 2009 |
Jan 1, 2011 | Original New Jersey Bill Amended bill | Program Info |
| New York State | May 29, 2010 | April 1, 2011 | New York Law | - Summary of the law - State agency website |
| New York CITY | INT 728 signed by Mayor 4/1/2008INT 729 Vetoed by Mayor but council overrode 5/14/08 | July 1 2009 date was delayed by lawsuit against law |
Passed as 2 separate laws in 2008:Local Law 13 established the program. Local law 21 established the goals. | Law was pre-empted by the New York State law. Lawsuit was dropped. |
| North Carolina | Aug 2007 Bill adding TVs passed Aug 2008 | Jan 1, 2010 | NC Bill (This is an omnibus waste bill. See Section 16 for e-waste language.) 2008 Bill adding TVs to program.2010 bill added printers, scanners to definition of computers |
State agency e-waste site |
| Oklahoma | May 13, 2008 | Jan 1, 2009 | Oklahoma Law | |
| Oregon | June 2007 | Jan 1, 2009 | Original Oregon law 2011 law expanding scope SB82 |
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| Pennsylvania | Nov 23, 2010 | Penn law | ||
| Rhode Island | Jun 27, 2008 | Feb 1, 2009 | Rhode Island Law | State e-waste site |
| South Carolina | May 19, 2010 | July 1, 2011 | South Carolina law | State agency e-waste site |
| Texas | Computer law passed June 2007TV law passed June 2011 | Sept 1, 2008 | Texas computer takeback lawTexas TV takeback law | |
| Vermont | April 19, 2010 | July 1, 2011 | Vermont bill | State agency website |
| Virginia | March 11, 2008 | July 1, 2009 | Virginia bill | State Agency program website2013 Report to Legislature |
| Washington | Mar 2006 | Began Jan 1, 2009 | Washington Law Rules and Regs for Washington program. |
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| West Virginia | April 1, 2008 | July 1 2009 | W VA bill | |
| Wisconsin | Oct 23, 2009 | Jan 1, 2010 | Wisconsin bill Bill summary |
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| States with Consumer Fee Laws or Other Models |
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| California | 2003 | California Laws and Program Info Even though California passed an ARF bill for e-waste, in Sept 2007 the State Agency adopted a resolution calling for an extended producer responsibility (EPR) approach and framework for future state policy. Detailed policy on EPR . |
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| Utah | March 22 2011 | No collection required – just education on recycling. | Utah bill | |
