Recycling of electronic waste from households in Maine
"Over the first eighteen months of the program (January 2006-June 2007), Maine achieved an annual per capita electronics recycling rate of 3.29 pounds. This exceeds the anticipated rate of 1.75 pounds per capita, and represents the diversion of almost 6 million pounds of materials from Maine's landfills and incinerators into marketable commodities......Because Maine was the first state to implement manufacturer responsibility for recycling of household electronics at the end-of-life." p.1
"Five additional states (Connecticut, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas) adopted e-waste laws in 2007. All five of these laws are "manufacturer responsibility " laws; none of them charge consumers an ARF to fund administration or recycling." p. 8
"Maine's E-Waste Law currently requires manufacturers of televisions (including portable DVD players) and computer monitors (including laptops) to pay for the handling, transportation and recycling of their branded products. It also requires that manufacturers clearly mark their monitors, televisions and computers with a permanently affixed label identifying the manufacturer." p.9
"Maine's was the first law in the United States to codify the concept of product stewardship for the manufacturers of consumer electronics." p. 13
Recycling of Electronic Waste from Households in Maine. Maine Department of Environmental Protection 17 State House Station Augusta, Maine 04333-0017 January 15, 2008 Contact: Carole Cifrino : carole.a.cifrino@maine.gov