Indiana University Bloomington
OP-20: Electronic Waste Recycling Program

To obtain consistency in electronic waste collection Midwestern states have designed 14 guiding principles to guide e-waste programs. The 14 guiding principles include: * Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring the collection, transportation, and recycling of waste electronics. * Manufacturers register with the state. * Retailers are required to only sell products from registered manufacturers. * The obligation of manufacturers is determined by the weight of covered equipment sold in a particular state the previous year, although a broader array of electronic devices apply towards meeting the obligation. The Initiative’s list of covered equipment: televisions, monitors, laptops and desktop computers. * Manufacturers may choose to operate their own program or pay a per pound fee to the state. * At the end of each year, the manufacturers submit a report on the amount of material collected for recycling and, if short of their obligation, remit a per-pound fee for the remaining amount. * Retailers report to manufacturers on their sales in a particular state. * Manufacturers collecting more than their annual obligation may bank the credit towards the following year’s obligation or sell it to another manufacturer. * Manufacturers will have an incentive to provide collection and recycling opportunities in both urban and rural areas. * Collection agents and recyclers must register with the state to participate in the system. * All e-waste collected must be handled according to environmentally sound management standards. * A disposal ban is to be implemented within two years of enactment * The state is authorized to participate in a multi-state entity to facilitate multi-state implementation. * States may choose to establish a third-party organization to implement provisions of the statute.

Surplus electronics are delivered to Surplus Stores and either resold or recycled off site by Unicor. Broken electronics are categorized as electronic waste and are picked up by EH&S and recycled by Unicor.

Students may recycle e-waste through the annual E-Waste Days free diversion program. IU E-Waste days have diverted over a million pounds of electronic waste from the landfill in collaboration with Apple, Inc.

The web link above pertains to electronic waste days, which restricts hazardous waste, batteries and other items. Other procedures are in place through Environmental Health Services to deal with these hazards. See: http://www.ehs.indiana.edu/waste.shtml