California Cell Phone Recycling Bill Passes Assembly

An assembly bill that seeks to boost the recycling of cellular phones passed the California State Assembly earlier this week. The bill, AB 2901, authored by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, passed by a vote of 47-20. The bill now awaits the governor’s signature to enact the bill.

The bill would require all retailers of cell phones to have in place a system for the collection, reuse and recycling of cell phones, requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to provide information on cell phone recycling and to adopt regulations to prohibit a cell phone from being sold in California if the cell phone is prohibited from sale in the European Union.

The Senate amendments made a number of clarifying changes to the bill, including redefining "cell phone" and deleting requirements related to universal waste in California.

As passed, the DTSC would adopt regulations that prohibit a cell phone from being sold if the cell phone is prohibited from being sold in the European Union, to the extent that Directive 2002/95/EC, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, prohibits that sale due to the presence of heavy metals.

Other steps the bill addresses includes the requirement that on and after July 1, 2005, every retailer of a cell phone sold in California needs to have in place a system for the acceptance, collection, reuse, and recycling or proper disposal of used cell phones.

Prohibited the sale of cell phones in California by retailers without a plan after July 1, 2005.