News

In a Dec. 24, 2014 post, legal blog JD Supra does not look favorably upon the September 9th Circuit Court ruling upholding the Alameda County Safe Drug Disposal ordinance, writing:

The Oregon E-Cycles electronics product stewardship program will expand Jan. 1, 2015 to include the recycling of printers, keyboards, and mice, according to a Dec. 29, 2014 KUOW article.

On Dec. 19, 2014, KING 5 News aired a segment on the paint take-back bill expected in the upcoming Washington state legislative session.

The carpet manufacturing industry recently announced a "voluntary product stewardship" effort for carpet recycling, requiring participants to not support extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation.

On Sept. 30th, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the pharmaceutical industry associations’ challenge to Alameda County’s 2012 medicine take-back law. The lawsuit against Alameda County is similar to a lawsuit against King County’s Secure Medicine Return Regulations.

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) released a final rule implementing the regulations of the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which expands "the options available to collect controlled substances from ultimate users for the purpose of disposal, including: take-back events, mail-back programs, and collection receptacle locations." According to a

Guy Crittenden of Solid Waste & Recycling magazine concludes that "government-mandated product stewardship is precisely what's needed to change this moribund [carpet recycling] situation" after reading

During the April 26, 2014 National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and local law enforcement agencies collected a total of 15.9 tons of prescription medications from WA, ID, OR, and AK residents. In Washington, 89 collection sites removed 8.3 tons from circulation, and in Oregon, 43 collection sites removed 3.9 tons.

California Senate Bill 1014, which would have required pharmaceutical companies to create and fund a statewide drug take-back program, was shelved by its author due to opposition, according to an April 16, 2014 article in the Seattle P-I.

The Washington Dept. of Ecology is hiring an Environmental Specialist to implement the Mercury-containing lights recycling/product stewardship program in Lacey, WA. For job description and details, apply (via Careers.wa.gov) for the Mercury Product Stewardship Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4) until May 2, 2014.