Publication type: Academic Journal Article
This chapter provides an overview of waste electrical and electronic equipment (E-waste) policies in the United States (US). Contrary to other countries, the United States does not have a uniform national E-waste law. Instead, policies are fragmented and rely to a large extent on subnational decisions. National legislation only imposes a landfill ban on a very narrow set of electronic devices and is complemented by some voluntary national programs and standards. However, half of the US states have adopted E-waste laws in a relatively uncoordinated manner. This has led to a patchwork of policies with various levels of stringency and scopes, posing a challenge for those who need to navigate the different requirements. Most of the laws embrace the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with the exception of California and Utah. The chapter compares the different subnational initiatives and traces their evolution over time.
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