AB 254

This bill makes changes to the electronic waste recycling program, known as

“E-Cycle Wisconsin," which is administered by the Department of Natural

Resources.

Under the existing program, a manufacturer may not sell certain consumer

electronic devices (electronics) to households or covered schools in this state, or

deliver electronics to a retailer, unless the manufacturer registers with DNR each

year, pays a registration fee, and either recycles a certain amount of electronics or

pays a shortfall fee. A retailer may not sell electronics to households or covered

schools in this state unless the product's manufacturer is registered under the

program. A recycler that receives electronics on behalf of a registered manufacturer

must also register under the program and comply with certain reporting and

record-keeping requirements.

The bill expands the definition of a covered school, for purposes of the program,

to include all public elementary or secondary schools, including charter schools; all

private elementary or secondary schools; and all tribal schools. The bill also narrows

the types of consumer printers that are covered under the program.

Under current law, a manufacturer in the program must ordinarily pay a

registration fee with its annual registration, based on the number of electronics it

sold in the state during the previous year. The bill raises the threshold for requiring

a manufacturer to pay a registration fee. Under the bill, a manufacturer's

registration fee is $5,000 if it sold at least 500 electronics in this state during the

previous program year, and $1,250 if it sold at least 250 but fewer than 500

electronics. There is no registration fee if the manufacturer sold fewer than 250

electronics during the previous program year.

Also under current law, a manufacturer must report certain information to

DNR when it submits its annual registration under the program. This bill requires

manufacturers, when reporting the total weight of electronics recycled by or on

behalf of the manufacturer each year, to also report the weight of electronics collected

from rural counties separately from electronics collected from urban counties.

The bill also requires DNR to create a program to provide grants to expand

electronics recycling and recovery programs in underserved areas of the state.

Grants may be provided to local units of government, businesses, and nonprofit

entities, including religious nonprofits, for hosting a collection site or collection

event. The bill requires a grant recipient to provide matching funds equal to at least

20 percent of the cost of the project for which the grant is provided. The bill directs

DNR to prioritize grants for projects that will take place in counties that do not have

permanent electronics recycling collection sites.

Finally, under current law, a program year runs from July 1 to the following

June 30. This bill creates an 18-month transition period (transition year) that runs

from July 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023. After the transition year, a program year