COLLEGE PARK, MD - Only 11 out of 35 U.S. state recycling managers believe that there will ever be a national agreement on electronics takeback, according to a survey from Raymond Communications for the 2005 update of “Electronics Recycling: What to Expect from Global Mandates.” The survey is in the appendix of the 200-page report, now covering U.S. legislation and 23 countries from Europe and Asia in detail.
The U.S. survey indicated that fewer state officials are now aware of the national takeback negotiations that have been ongoing since 2001. In 2003, only one official was not familiar with the National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) process, while in 2004, six said they were not familiar with it. Moreover, the survey indicated that 11 states planned legislative action on electronics waste in the next the next three years-ten said no.
The report reviews all state legislation in 2004 (about 36 bills), status of enacted bills, and deregulation of electronics recycling in the U.S. and Canada. Other sections cover design for environment issues, plastics recycling, labeling, and Restrictions of Hazardous Substances (RoHs) directive implementation coverage. The international section includes electronics fees for 2004 and 2005, explanations of current laws versus implementation of the directive of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)/RoHS directives, and updated details for dealing with regions such as S. Korea and Taiwan. For more information on the impending initiatives and their impact on the electronics industries, visit www.raymond.com.
