24 States Now Ban Tossing Electronics

Nearly half the states in the US now have laws requiring that most electronic equipment be recycled instead of dumped in the trash, the AP reports. Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina are the most recent states to ban simply tossing out old TVs, computers, video game consoles, stereo equipment, etc.

Many of those states demand that manufacturers pay for recycling programs, and the manufacturers are striking deals with retailers to make the process easier. Sometimes, it's no more difficult than a drop-off at a chain store like Best Buy. "Everyone should just get used to finding a way to recycle," an advocate tells the Carmi Times in Illinois, where a similar new law takes effect next year.
(More recycling stories.)