How many electronic devices (phones, laptops, tablets, etc.) does the average American own? The answer may shock you as it’s increased 63% between 2018 and 2025. People own an average of 13 devices

That’s just small electronics. You’ll have other harder-to-recycle items like refrigerators, electric fireplaces, massage chairs, microwaves, window AC units, portable heaters, and the list goes on. For decades, there have been no clear rules on what happens to those items when they stop working or are no longer sufficient. That’s why states across the U.S. are establishing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws. 

What Is EPR?

EPR is the abbreviation for Extended Producer Responsibility. With some products, the manufacturer pushes out bigger, better models rapidly, and people want those advanced features and technology. Old electronics generate waste almost as fast as people purchase the newer models. New models consume raw materials that cause environmental damage.

In a perfect world, people would recycle old items so that components could be broken down to provide materials for new items, which reduces the need for more and more raw materials. That’s where EPR laws come in.

EPR pushes producers into taking responsibility for their products’ end-of-life stages. This means they need to:

• Design items to last.
• Allow for easy DIY repairs or upgrades to prevent unnecessary waste.
• Establish takeback, buyback, or recycling programs for end-of-life electronics.

What States Are Implementing EPR Laws?

The U.S. has not implemented EPR frameworks, which is unlike Europe’s approach. Instead, states must make their own laws. The problem is that only half of the states in the U.S. bothered. Times are changing, and more lawmakers are starting to look at the implementation of EPR for managing e-waste and other hard-to-recycle items.

Here are the current laws or lack of according to the Protect Stewardship Institute:

• Alabama: No laws yet
• Alaska: No laws yet
• Arizona: No laws yet
• Arkansas: 12 laws
• Colorado: 3 laws
• Connecticut: 6 laws
• Delaware: No laws yet
• Florida: 1 law
• Georgia: No laws yet
• Hawaii: 1 law
• Idaho: No laws yet
• Illinois: 6 laws
• Indiana: 2 laws
• Iowa: 3 laws
• Kansas: No laws yet
• Kentucky: No laws yet
• Louisiana: 1 law
• Maine 6 laws
• Maryland: 6 laws
• Massachusetts 3 laws
• Michigan: 1 law
• Minnesota: 6 laws 
• Mississippi: No laws yet
• Missouri: 1 law
• Montana: 1 law
• Nebraska: 1 law
• Nevada: No laws yet
• New Hampshire: 1 law
• New Jersey: 4 laws
• New Mexico: No laws yet
• New York: 6 laws
• North Carolina: 2 laws
• North Dakota: No laws yet
• Ohio: No laws yet
• Oklahoma: 1 law
• Oregon: 5 laws
• Pennsylvania: 2 laws
• Rhode Island: 6 laws
• South Carolina: 2 laws
• South Dakota: No laws yet
• Tennessee: No laws yet
• Texas: 1 law
• Utah: 1 law
• Vermont: 9 laws
• Virginia: 2 laws
• Washington: 7 laws
• West Virginia: 1 law
• Wisconsin: 1 law
• Wyoming: No laws yet

In addition to those laws, some cities and towns have local laws that establish manufacturer-paid or arranged recycling. The best way to find your local and state laws is by searching your state’s database.

These laws include items like paints, batteries, mattresses, electronic devices, prescription drugs, and mercury thermostats and auto switches. They cover more than electronics.

Challenges and the Future of EPR in the U.S.

Since paper recycling picked up in the 1980s, recycling has come a long way, but it still has room for improvement. EPR laws help keep hazardous waste and plastic out of landfills, but it’s a challenging process for many reasons.

Educating people within a community takes time and money. Even with signs, posters, and educational flyers, not everyone will do their part. It’s sometimes hard to pinpoint who exactly isn’t following the rules. 

Even if you can tell, the person may not understand the guidelines. If a person moves from one town to another and recycling rules differ, it’s frustrating and may lead to a person giving up.

Establishing recycling facilities or programs in areas where the infrastructure is lacking can lead to increased taxes to cover salaries and equipment. If the fee charged to a manufacturer doesn’t cover all the costs, taxpayers may become responsible, and that impacts people with lower incomes.

It can be difficult to name who the producer is, is it the manufacturer, the brand, the parent company, or the store selling the item? Having a defined rule on who the producer is helps with this, but that party may not believe they should be liable and have to follow the EPR regulations.

As these issues require assessment, it takes time, energy, and money to resolve any potential problems when new laws are enacted. Some state legislators wait to see what other states do and how it works for them. This is why many believe that EPR laws are going to take off in the next few years.

Expanding laws that cover items that don’t have to be in the waste stream, such as clothing, building materials, Styrofoam, ceramics, and carpeting. Manufacturers and brands will find better ways to reuse materials, which supports the circular economy. There’s still a problem to address and that’s how to get consumers to purchase recycled goods. Some people feel:

• Recycled materials aren’t as strong.
• Items made with recycled materials will break down faster and be less reliable.
• Items cost more to cover the initial cost of recycling.

The good news is that many states are working on new EPR laws. Washington recently passed the Recycling Reform Act that makes producers of certain paper and packaging products (food and medical packaging are exempt) responsible for recycling programs. The producer reimbursements will increase over time, reaching 90% by 2032. 

As more states embrace advanced recycling programs with money from producers, it’s going to be easier to streamline practices. Instead of people moving to a new town and learning an entirely different recycling practice, they’re standardized and easy to follow. 

People will find it easier to know exactly what is recycled and what is done to ensure it’s dropped off or taken to the right place. When rules are uniform, recycling is much more effective.

Know Where to Bring Your Used Electronics and Batteries

Before recycling, make sure you cannot reuse the item, even if you use it for a different purpose. Your phone’s screen broke. Instead of rushing out to buy a new phone, purchase a screen replacement kit and fix it yourself.

Even with an increasing number of states using Extended Producer Responsibility laws to manage electronic waste, consumers have to do their part. Whether you’re a business owner or not, make sure electronics are properly recycled. 

Use the guide at Recycle Nation to find where to bring your used electronics for recycling. In addition to contact information, we share addresses and a detailed map for driving directions. We aim to make recycling easy for everyone.