We Need Action on Electronic Waste

Residents across Minnesota need free and equitable access to electronics and battery recycling. Take Action Now.

Legislation enacted in 2007 only supported about 20 million pounds of collection in 2020, falling far short from the estimated 133 million pounds generated annually. This means the majority of electronic waste is improperly disposed of. Without proper disposal, we are putting the health and well-being of residents and our environment at risk.  

Without sufficient collection, we continue our reliance on resource extraction. Each year, $3 billion dollars worth of precious metals from electronics end up in our waste stream. Additionally, this toxic e-waste ends is putting the health and well-being of residents and our environment at risk. Though e-waste only makes up 2-3% of municipal solid waste by weight, it represents almost 70% of lead present in landfills. 

Impacts on Recycling

As recyclers, electronics are all too often improperly placed in the recycling cart – increasingly impacting the health and safety of our workers and increasing the cost of doing business. 

Over the years, we have experienced as many as 20 fires in a year, at times 1 – 2 per week, in our Material Recovery Facility (MRF) or inside one of our recycling trucks. These fires are due to batteries and  electronics that have been disposed of in residential recycling carts. As we’ve seen at recycling facilities around the country, these fires can very quickly spread to incredibly flammable plastic and paper streams. These fires and the toxic smoke associated with them are dangerous to our team members’ health and the community. 

In addition to the danger of fires and exposure to toxic e-waste, there is a significant hard cost of e-waste on the recycling system. These costs include:

• Insurance Costs: Across the industry, we have seen a significant increase in the cost of  facility insurance by up to 5000%  – from less than 20 cents per $100 of insured property value to as much as $10 per $100 of insured value. Battery fires are preventing many recyclers, like us, from even securing insurance. 
• Disposal Costs: Additionally, we dispose of, on average, 28 tons of e-waste each year costing us $30,000 annually. 
• Equipment Costs: While the impact on our equipment is difficult to measure, electronics in our stream increases the general wear and tear as fires weaken equipment due to exposure to heat. 

The amount of e-waste is only expected to increase. We need a comprehensive approach to the problem that ensures all Minnesotans can easily and properly dispose of electronics and batteries. Inaction on e-waste will result in continued challenges for Minnesota’s recycling industries and continued harm to human and environmental health.

SF1690 / HF1426  will provide universal, free drop off for ALL electronic waste and demystify the process for consumers.

Take Action Now