News release from the Illinois Product Stewardship Council (ILPSC); please share with public works and other municipal staff members:
New amended electronics legislation raises manufacturers’ goals, sets penalties Springfield, IL. Illinois Governor Rauner signed into law HB 1455 on Friday, July 10, 2015, a law that amends the Electronics Products Recycling and Reuse Act. The amendments provide that a manufacturer may count the total weight of a cathode ray tube (CRT) device, prior to processing, towards its performance goal if all recyclable components are removed from the device and the CRT is managed in accordance of Illinois Environmental Protection Agency regulations for used CRTs. The amended legislation requires that for specific categories of electronic devices, each manufacturer must recycle or reuse at least 80% (previously 50%) of the total weight of electronic devices that the manufacturer sold in Illinois two calendar years prior to the applicable program year. The amended legislation also states that a registered recycler or refurbisher may not charge consumers or local governments to recycle covered or eligible electronic devices, and that if manufacturers do not meet 100% of their individual goals, the manufacturer will be assessed a penalty. The law comes into effect after months of effort by legislative supporters and coordination by the Illinois Product Stewardship Council (ILPSC) to amend the legislation so that local governments throughout the state can continue to serve as collection sites for their residents to recycle electronics. The amended legislation, now Public Act 99-0013, is effective immediately.