24 States are have now implemented Electronic Waste Laws! according to Electronics TakeBack Coalition. Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina.
Several more states introduced legislation in 2010 (in yellow below). All laws except California 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.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimated in 2007 that the U.S. generates about 2 million tons a year of e-waste, which can contain lead, mercury, cadmium and other potentially harmful chemicals. If those toxins leach from landfills into the environment, risks to human health can include cancer and nervous system damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Full story at ABC
HOW COME NOT ALL 51 STATES BAN ELECTRONIC WASTE?
WE, ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH FOR THE ENVIRONMENT!