San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is proposing the possibilty of making recycling mandatory in the city. This follows news that the city had attained a 70% solid waste diversion rate which ranks as one of the highest in the nation. A New York Times article details San Fancisco's aggressive waste reduction and recycling programs, which includes a residential green waste composting infrastructure.

Mayor Newsom feels that mandatory recycling is the only way for the city to achieve %75 waste diversion.

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What CAW is doing to increase residential recycling opportunities statewide>>>

The U.S. House of Represenatives' Science and Technology Committee held a hearing today to discuss and review the current management of e-waste in the United States. This hearing was only a starting point to discuss possible federal e-waste legislation aimed at improving recycling programs for e-waste and developing products with fewer toxins.

Representatives from HP and Sony discussed their current recycling programs, including a representative from HP saying that it makes more sense for manufacturers to pay recycling fees when referencing the high costs to recycling. Even with their programs in place, it was noted that only 15% of HP electronics were recycled last year. In the US, less than 20% of discarded electronics are recycled according to the U.S. EPA. In California, that number is a little higher. Currently, 13 states have created recycling programs, including California.

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What You Can Do

• Learn more about California's e-waste law and other states e-waste laws.
• Find a place to properly dispose of your unwanted electronics.

Starting Earth Day, April 22, San Francisco residents will be able to dump more plastic items into their recycling bins. Almost all types of plastic, including buckets, disposal utensils and see through plastic cups and take out containers will be accepted. The only plastic items that are not included are bags, film wrap, bubble wrap and any polysytrene. Bags and film are not included because those items usually get tangled in the recycling equipment.

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What You Can Do

• Learn more about CAW's work on plastic issues.

New York City Mayor Bloomberg signed the e-waste recycling bill today, the first city in the nation to establish an e-waste recycling program. The new law will require electronics manufacturers (covering computers, monitors and TVs) to create a collection program for their products from City consumers. The law also bans e-waste from disposal into the City's solid waste stream.

Read the press release

What You Can Do

• Learn more about California's e-waste policy.