Governor Pat Quinn broke out his bill-signing pen once again Wednesday to sign legislation to increase e-recycling in Illinois.
Under the new law, the state's Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act will be overhauled, requiring more electronic products to be recycled. The recycling goals of manufacturers in Illinois also would be increased, and penalties on those who fail to follow the law will be strengthened.
Under the new law, electronics such as keyboards, portable music devices, scanners, videocassette recorders and video game consoles will be added to the list of electronics banned from landfills in the state. Items already banned include computer monitors, televisions and printers.
“This law will keep reusable materials from filling our landfills, and it will help us put people to work giving those materials new uses,” said Quinn in a statement. “Today’s action reinforces our commitment to a green Illinois that continues to be a leader in protecting the environment.”
In addition to keeping more electronics from landfills, Senate Bill 2106 will increase recycling goals for Illinois manufacturers, Quinn said. Under the new law, manufacturers in 2012 will be required to recycle 40 percent of the products they sold in 2010. This will lead to a statewide e-recycling increase of more than 22 million pounds in 2012, Quinn said.
Quinn also signed House Bill 2001, which creates strong penalties for disposing of waste criminally. Among other measures, the law quintuples the fine, from $5,000 to $25,000.
