FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

E-Waste to be Introduced on the House Floor for Crucial Vote

Salem: HB 2626, the bill that will make Oregon a leader in recycling unwanted electronics, is expected to be introduced on the House floor Tuesday, 10 AM SHARP.

Salem:   HB 2626, the bill that will make Oregon a leader in recycling unwanted electronics, is expected to be introduced on the House floor Tuesday, 10 AM SHARP.

This long overdue legislation will make it easier for all Oregonians, particularly residents in rural areas, to return their out-dated electronic equipment, including:  televisions, personal computers, laptops and monitors.

A number of Representatives said they intend to move forward in support of the E-waste bill hoping to reinstate Oregon to its standing as a recycling leader.  Oregon was the first state in the country to introduce a landmark bottle bill in 1971 and in 1983 the Legislature passed the Recycling Opportunity Act to provide Oregonians with the opportunity to recycle in a voluntary and convenient manner.  However, Oregon has fallen behind California, Maine, Maryland and Washington in electronic waste recycling which have already passed comprehensive recycling legislation. Several more states are expected to follow within the year.

Lead environmental groups believe that providing consumers a free and easy way to dispose of toxic electronic waste is a no-brainer.  “We are not asking for a radical shift in thinking. We are simply asking manufacturers to apply the same ingenuity to developing products that are safer and easier to recycle. We owe it to ourselves: for our health and a healthy planet,” said Katy Daily of Recycling Advocates.

Establishing an effect E-waste program is one of the priorities of the Oregon Conservation Network, the coalition of Oregon’s environmental groups.

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