What items are considered to be "electronics?"
Television and monitors, computers and computer peripherals, audio and stereo equipment, VCRs, DVD players, video cameras, telephones, fax and copying machines, cellular phones, wireless devices, and video game consoles are primary examples of "electronics".

Why prevent electronics from entering the landfill?
Some components of these electronic devices may contain constituents that if improperly handled could be harmful to the environment. Certain components may contain small amounts of RCRA regulated heavy metals, including lead, silver, barium, cadmium and mercury. Many of these metals can be recovered and recycled by de-manufacturing and recycling of electronic devices.

What are the regulations concerning electronics disposal for businesses?
It is the generator's responsibility to determine if their waste meets the criteria established for hazardous waste. If so, the generator bears sole responsibility for the proper management of such material. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed electronics destined for recycling be managed under the universal waste provisions of its regulations.

What are the regulations concerning recyclers, refurbishers or dismantlers?
Under Virginia's current regulatory applications, e-waste devices managed as commercial products for rebuilding, reuse, or remanufacture by component substitution or replacement, rather than disposal, would not be considered waste under the Resource Recovery and Conservation Act (RCRA).

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However, if the units are broken apart or disassembled, (de-manufactured), into individual components, unit subsystems, or discrete component devices (e.g. capacitors, batteries, transformers, relays, switches, CRTs, motherboards, frame components, etc.), RCRA issues will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Waste components or subassemblies subsequently generated and disposed of will require evaluation under the TCLP criteria and should be managed accordingly. Management of e-waste may also be subject to regulation under the Virginia Solid Waste Management Regulations under certain conditions applicable to Municipal Recycling Facilities (MRF).

This is an evolving area of the regulations and changes are expected during the next year. Information will be included and updated on this site, as it becomes available.

Why reuse or recycle outdated computer and electronic equipment?
Computer and electronic equipment is estimated as approximately one percent of the annual 209,700,000 tons of solid waste generated in the United States, and was approximately 134,000 tons in 1998 and another 1.3 million units were "reused" by third parties. Consequently, the waste stream provides opportunity to:

  Reuse or donation of equipment to not-for-profit
  organizations

  De-manufacture equipment to reusable components or
  recycle component parts: including cathode ray tubes,
  printed circuit boards, and silicon chips, into raw
  materials, including metals, plastics and glass