Colorado House Joins Senate in Passing E-Waste Landfill Ban Bill

Colorado’s House joined the Senate in passing the state’s electronic waste landfill ban bill.

Colorado Senate Bill 133 passed the House by a 43-20 vote March 21 after passing the Senate at the end of February. It now goes to Gov. John Hickenlooper to decide whether to sign it into law.

If it becomes law, the ban would begin July 1, 2013. It would include computers, printers, televisions, digital video disc players and video cassette recorders, according to the state general assembly’s website.

State agencies would have to arrange for the recycling of those products with a certified recycler.

Counties that don’t have at least two e-waste recycling events per year or an ongoing e-waste recycling program could vote to be exempt from the ban.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Gail Schwartz (D-5).

Each year Colorado residents discard between 40,000 and 161,000 tons of e-waste and recycle about 8,000 tons, according to Colorado Conservation Voters. The group said the bill could expand the recycling industry in the state and create 2,500 new jobs.