Indiana Approves Major Statewide e-Waste Recycling Program

digital artwork photo
Photo via wonderlane

Indiana's Governor Mitch Daniels has signed into law some major electronics recycling legislation, making it the 19th state in the country to go state-wide with e-cycling. It puts into place recycling targets for manufacturers, and some great freebies for consumers, schools, and small businesses.

According to Matter Network:

[The law] requires manufacturers of video display devices (TVs, monitors, and laptops) to collect and recycle 60% by weight of the volume of products they sold in the previous year in Indiana. After the first two years, manufacturers who fail to meet those goals will pay an additional recycling fee for every pound they fall short of their goal.
While the goals are based on sales of video display devices, the program allows consumers, public schools and small businesses to recycle a larger group of products for free, including TVs, computers, laptops, keyboards, printers, fax machines, DVD players, and video cassette recorders. The program begins collection in April 2010.

Great job, Indiana. Now...where are all the other states? California was the first to pass this kind of legislation back in 2003, then:
2004 Maine
2005 Maryland
2006 Washington
2007 Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, North Carolina
2008 New Jersey, New York City, Oklahoma, Virginia, West Virginia, Missouri, Hawaii, Rhode Island Illinois and Michigan

We can see it's a growing trend with more states hopping on each year. We're hoping that the remaining US states will line up behind Indiana this year, or at the latest in 2010, so that e-waste is dealt with appropriately.

Via Matter Network

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e-Waste Expected to Plateau by 2015
How Much eWaste Is Getting Recycled from Major Retailers?