California Receives Electronics Recycling Claims

As of Jan. 1, 2005, California retailers began collecting and electronic waste recycling fee on the purchase of new covered electronic devices, and approved collectors and recyclers started their recovery efforts, making them eligible to claim payments.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) reports that it has secured a short-term loan, enabling payments to begin on complete and approved claims before regular revenue is available.

“In accordance with statute, the electronic waste recycling fees collected from consumers by retailers will be remitted to the state beginning April 2005, after the end of the first quarter,” according to a recent ListServ from the CIWMB that goes out to electronic product stakeholders. “This had led to speculation that the CIWMB would not be able to pay on claims until May or June, and possibly caused some recyclers to be reluctant in establishing business relations with collectors.  With the loan, the CIWMB can begin to process claims immediately; however the CIWMB will still need to closely monitor the rate at which both fee revenue and payment claims flow in so that the loan can be repaid in a timely manner.”

While handlers of covered electronic waste are not required to be an approved collector within the SB 20/SB50 recovery and recycling system, only approved collectors are eligible to recovery payments from approved recyclers, the CIWMB says. 

“If covered electronic waste (CEWs) is received by approved collector/recyclers from unapproved collector/handlers, it may NOT be eligible for subsequent payment claims unless documentation establishing when and from what sources the CEWs were recovered is secured, maintained and transmitted along with the material through the recovery and recycling system,” the CIWMB reminds stakeholders in the ListServ.

Statutes and regulations are available online at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Electronics/RegIssues.