On February 18, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic Butchko testified before the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in support of SB 591 – Environment – Covered Electronic Device Recycling Program – Establishment (Electronics Recycling Health and Safety Modernization Act.
This bill establishes a framework for a state fee on the purchase of certain electronics in order to more adequately fund primarily county-operated infrastructure for sustainable electronics recycling.
SB 591 marks an important step in fortifying Maryland’s recycling infrastructure, while ensuring local leaders can operate programs that work best for their communities.
Already, most household devices are eventually disposed of or recycled via county-operated infrastructure. SB 591 seeks to strengthen this infrastructure, recognizing the specific potential for landfill and groundwater contaminants by e-devices that include batteries, digital visual displays, and other complex components. It establishes a fee on the purchase of electronics and uses those funds to provide more sufficient resources to collection and recycling operations.
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