U.S. Senators Introduce E-Recycling Bill

Washington — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jim Talent, R-Mo., have introduced the Electronic Waste Recycling and Promotion and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. The bill would create an $8-per-unit tax credit for companies that recycle at least 5,000 display screens or computer system units per year. Consumers would receive a $15 tax credit for recycling their computers or televisions with a qualified recycler.

Furthermore, the bill would ban the disposal of any electronic equipment containing a display screen larger than four inches and any computer system in a municipal landfill. The ban would begin three years after the bill is passed.

The legislation also would modify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Universal Waste Rule to classify display screens and computer systems as “universal waste,” a designation the senators say would allow for easier collection, processing and recycling of the material.