Dive Brief:
- The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) in Illinois is ending its electronic waste collection program.
- 18 permanent sites will be shuttered, with no plans to reopen at this time.
- The agency is uncertain if and when the e-waste facilities will be available for public use as SWALCO doesn’t have the necessary $200,000 in its budget to keep the project going.
Dive Insight:
A 2008 state law requires electronics manufacturers in Illinois to recycle or refurbish a specified volume of e-waste, dependent upon the weight of products the companies sell. As SWALCO’s current contract comes to an end, manufacturer funding is failing to meet cost demands.
Beginning in 2011, it became illegal for electronics to be landfilled. The county collects almost 4 million pounds of e-waste annually.
Certain aspects of recycling laws are hurting municipal electronics collections, according to environmentalists. The e-waste goals set for manufacturers are proving to be an obstacle for municipalities, and costs are too high for many counties in the state to sustain recycling programs, prompting the closure of many recycling facilities across Illinois.