Oregon DEQ: Land Quality - Oregon E-Cycles - More About Oregon E-Cycles

Oregon E-Cycles, established by Oregon’s Electronics Recycling Law (Oregon Revised Statute 459A.300-.365), is a new statewide program that requires electronics manufacturers to provide responsible recycling for computers, monitors and TVs. The program is an example of product stewardship. Product stewardship directs everyone involved in the life cycle of a product to take shared responsibility for the impacts to our health and environment that result from the production, use, and end-of-life management of the product.

Oregon E-Cycles provides free recycling of computers, monitors and TVs to anyone bringing seven or fewer items to a participating collection site at one time. However, collection sites may accept more than seven items from households, small businesses and small 501(c)(3) nonprofits with 10 or fewer employees. Please call the collection site nearest you to ask about bringing more items.

As of January 1, 2010, all computers, monitors and TVs are banned from disposal in Oregon.

Beginning January 2015, computer peripherals (keyboards and mice) and printers will be added to the program.

Senate Bill 82

In addition to providing free responsible recycling, the law outlines further requirements for manufacturers and retailers.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers must label their computers, monitors and TVs with a visible, permanently affixed brand, and register those brands with DEQ. All manufacturers are required to pay a registration fee, which covers DEQ’s administrative costs to implement Oregon E-Cycles.

Manufacturers must also participate in a recycling program. Manufacturers choose to either pay a recycling fee to participate in the DEQ-administered State Contractor Program or, if they meet certain requirements, to implement and pay for their own statewide program.

Collectively these programs comprise “Oregon E-Cycles” – a network of responsible collection sites and services and recycling facilities throughout Oregon. All recycling programs must establish, at a minimum, a collection site in every city with a population of 10,000 or greater and a collection service in every county.

Recycling programs may choose to provide additional “premium services” to customers. Premium services are services that are offered by participating recycling programs under Oregon E-Cycles in addition to the standard collection sites and services. Examples of “premium services” could include mail back or pick-up services. There may be a fee associated with these premium services.

Manufacturers who fail to comply with these requirements will not be permitted to sell their products in or into Oregon. The law provides DEQ with the authority to enforce these requirements should manufacturers fail to comply.

List of manufacturers and their compliance status.

Retailers

Retailers are required to provide customers who buy new computers, monitors or TVs with printed information about Oregon E-Cycles at the point of sale.

Retailers must also ensure that the brands they sell are listed on DEQ’s manufacturer compliance list as “pending” or “compliant” and the products are affixed with a permanent and visible brand label.

List of manufacturers with brands and their compliance status.

If a brand is not listed, it may not be sold in or into Oregon. Sales restrictions apply only to brands of computers, monitors and TVs, and not to other electronics or products a manufacturer may make. These requirements apply to all sales methods, including retail, catalog, phone and Internet sales. Sales of reused or refurbished products are exempt from these requirements.

DEQ will ensure that retailers are providing point-of-sale information to customers and only selling registered brands. The law provides DEQ with the authority to enforce these requirements should retailers fail to comply.

For additional information