Illinois electronics recycling exceeds 39 million pounds

SPRING FILED (Scrap Monster) : The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) reports that nearly 39 million pounds of electronics were recycled ever since the electronics landfill ban came into effect in Jan 1, 2012.

The ban prohibited throwing electronics into landfills. The ban also stated that all Illinois residents are required to take electronic devices to a registered recycler and that these items must be recycled by a registered collector, recycler and/or manufacturer.  The EPA had also announced the list of designated collectors statewide.

Each manufacturer was assigned a minimum recycling goal. The EPA report indicates that the response from the industry was overwhelming. The top recyclers include HP(6 million pounds),Samsung(5.4 million pounds),Best Buy(4.4 million pounds),Panasonic(3.6 million pounds) and LG Electronics(2.8 million pounds). As per the report, only six companies failed to become part of the state initiative.

Private firms such as BLH Computers Inc also played a significant role in recycling electronics. BLH, which is a state authorized center has its recycling facilities recycling facilities in Springfield, Jacksonville, Taylorville and Decatur and processes around 1.2 million pounds of e-waste annually.

Not-for-profit organizations have also benefited from the ban. For instance, Habitat for Humanity of Sangamon County raised more than $25,000 from electronics recycling in 2012. Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries raised $1.4 million in 2012 by recycling.