The National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER), Parkersburg, W.Va., has reported a 2 percent decline in the 2010 per capita collection index (PCCI) for electronics recycling programs compared with 2009. The fifth annual PCCI, which measures collection volumes of used electronic equipment in six ongoing electronics recycling programs across the United States, marks the first decrease in per capita collection, according to NCER.
The NCER is a nonprofit organization with a mission to development and enhancement of a national infrastructure for the recycling of used electronics in the United States
The NCER says the slight decrease may be attributed to unique factors in one of the six programs but adds that the decline is still noteworthy.
According to the report, half of the collection programs saw a decrease ranging from 1 percent to 35 percent in their per capita results. The other programs increased collection volumes from 2 percent to 28 percent. The NCER says state of Maine, which saw a 35 percent decrease in collection volume, was the biggest outlier. Maine’s 2010 per capita collection number is on par with its 2008 number. Maine’s 2009 PCCI number represented a 50 percent increase from the previous year, which may have been because of there were more short-term collection events in 2009.
“Overall, the PCCI for 2010 shows that some programs are entering a steady collection phase while others are subject to year-to-year fluctuations,” says Jason Linnell, NCER executive director. “The index, combined with per capita collection results from other state programs not included in the index, shows that many programs are increasing, but there are exceptions and circumstances that cause a program to level off or decrease.”
The jurisdictions included in the index are the states of California, Maine and Delaware, a large municipality in Hennepin County, Minn., and two smaller municipalities in Branford, Conn., and Frederick County, Va.