Washington was the fourth state in the United States of America to formulate laws that govern the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The Senate Bill (SB – 6428) was passed in March 2006. The bill provides for the recycling of electronic devices with all stages such as collection, transportation, reuse and recycling financed by the manufacturers.

The legislation has initiated a free program for the reuse or recycling of discarded electronic equipment, called E-Cycle Washington. This program is monitored by the Department of Ecology, State of Washington and is environment friendly. It is of great convenience to households, educational institutions, small businesses, charitable organizations and even government agencies to safely dispose old and unused electronic devices free of charge.

The legislation was enacted with a view to protect the environment from pollution by hazardous substances like lead, cadmium, mercury, halogenated organic compounds and organic polymers, present in the electrical and electronic equipment. The manufacturers are required to take back all the electronic waste from the consumers for reuse and recycle.

Televisions, computers, computer monitors, laptops are all included in this free recycling program. However, this program does not include computer peripherals like keyboards, mice and printers. Equipments that still work are made available for businesses or charities that make use of such electronic devices.