I may have missed the boat but WTF is a CA recycle fee?

[SSSnail]

On televisions? So I haven't bought a new TV for a year or two, and just today went to buy a small TV for my surveillance system. I looked at the receipt and there's a line that says "CA Recycle Fees - $16" so I asked the guy that ring up the thing and he said it's a CA thing that has been in affect for the last couple of years.

What. The. Fudge? CA recycle tax? He also said that if it was a bit bigger, I'd have to pay $25 for the tax thing. Where and when did this crap gets approved? More importantly, where did the freaking money go? I know it's not going to the state budget fund, because we're broke.

So, what's new guys? Throw me a bone here, wait... I think that's enough boning for the evening.

 

[Ronstang]

If CA could figure out a way they would charge you a fee for breathing.

 

[Colt45]

We've got something like that here. Goes towards recycling waste electronics.

 

[oogabooga]

I believe it pays for the recycling electronic waste programs the state has now.

They've been around for awhile I believe. Haven't bought any Monitor's / TV's of modest-large size in the last... 5 years? I remember as far aback as a couple years ago getting dinged on my Dell Monitor for the fee.

And of course the various HDTV's that have been purchased =\

 

[InflatableBuddha]

We've got something like that here. Goes towards recycling waste electronics.

This. We have it in BC too.

Good idea IMO since e-waste is a huge problem, and it's important that old junk is recycled properly so the heavy metals and chemicals don't leach into groundwater and soil.

 

[Aluvus]

http://www.boe.ca.gov/sptaxprog/ewaste.htm

 

[Leros]

Well now you're motivated to recycle your TV instead of throwing it in the trash. You might as well since you paid for it!

 

[FleshLight]

Don't forget that your utility rates, especially water, have also gone up more than 20% in price.

 

[pyonir]

Well now you're motivated to recycle your TV instead of throwing it in the trash. You might as well since you paid for it!

And you'll have to pay again when you bring it in to recycle it?

This is all I can find after a brief search:

When consumers wish to get rid of CEDs, will they need to show proof they paid the eWaste fee to dispose of their items for free?

No. The disposal of a CED is a separate transaction from the purchase of a CED. The disposal facility may or may not charge the consumer a fee to dispose a CED, but either way, it will not be dependent upon a consumer having first paid an Electronic Waste Recycling Fee at the time they purchased the CED.

Can anyone find anything on if facilities usually charge fees? Or what those fees are?

 

[marincounty]

In other words, we're completely screwed. They charge you when you buy a tv or flat panel, and then they charge you when you dispose of it. I don't know what clowns pushed this law, but it is a total crock. In some European countries, the manufacturers have to take back unwanted tvs for free. Somehow due to insane green nutballs plus corporate lackeyism we get this POS law. The only good news is they have occasional "free" electronics waste days where you can drop crap off. But we are stuck with this insane tax that will never go away.

 

[Hacp]

Lol. California is really something.

 

[rockyct]

Think of it as paying the cost to recycle it upfront. I think it's a fair tax. If you buy TVs and monitors, you pay the cost to recycle them.

 

[Dumac]

I find CRV weirder, but I guess it gives the homeless people something to do....

 

[Scouzer]

We pay the fee in AB as well. It`s nice because if your TV craps out you just dump it at the recycling centre, no fees since you already paid.

 

[God Mode]

Fees like this should be built into the final price of the item.

 

[jlee]

Think of it as paying the cost to recycle it upfront. I think it's a fair tax. If you buy TVs and monitors, you pay the cost to recycle them.

You don't pay again when you do recycle them?

 

[lxskllr]

Think of it as paying the cost to recycle it upfront. I think it's a fair tax. If you buy TVs and monitors, you pay the cost to recycle them.

I'm only for the fee if you don't get charged again when you recycle it. People need to pay for the cost of getting rid of this crap, instead of passing it on to everyone else. Getting charged twice is bullshit though. If that's the case, it just sounds like a money grab to me.

 

[Slew Foot]

Its a CA tax, of course its a money grab.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Lol. California is really something.

no, you are really something!

 

[Jumpem]

I'm glad we don't even have the option of recycling here. You just put everything at the end of the driveway and a garbage truck picks it up.

 

[God Mode]

I'm glad we don't even have the option of recycling here. You just put everything at the end of the driveway and a garbage truck picks it up.

Even better is listing broken stuff on craigslist. There are a lot of people out there that are handy at fixing stuff. I leave the stuff next to my steps and by the time I come home its already gone.

To me, this is far better than recycling and the perpetualization of consumption on new BS that will break again. Most of these commercialized e-waste places resell their stuff to overseas brokers and "office clearance" sales on various places like ebay/craigslist anyway.

 

[BoomerD]

Meh...we have several places here that don't charge a fee for dropping off old TV's and other electronics.

I have a pile of stuff that's going to be hauled off...one of these days.

Dead 27" CRT Sony TV, couple of old CRT monitors, dying microwave, maybe even a couple of old PC's and stripped cases.

IMO, it's better than just throwing it all in the trash can.

I bought a new 50" plasma TV this past December and paid the $25 recycling fee.

 

[Hacp]

Even better is listing broken stuff on craigslist. There are a lot of people out there that are handy at fixing stuff. I leave the stuff next to my steps and by the time I come home its already gone.

To me, this is far better than recycling and the perpetualization of consumption on new BS that will break again. Most of these commercialized e-waste places resell their stuff to overseas brokers and "office clearance" sales on various places like ebay/craigslist anyway.

Thats dangerous dude. Its best to leave it in front of a neighbor's house.

 

[Jumpem]

Even better is listing broken stuff on craigslist. There are a lot of people out there that are handy at fixing stuff. I leave the stuff next to my steps and by the time I come home its already gone.

To me, this is far better than recycling and the perpetualization of consumption on new BS that will break again. Most of these commercialized e-waste places resell their stuff to overseas brokers and "office clearance" sales on various places like ebay/craigslist anyway.

I do this as well. I've put several things in the front lawn by the driveway with a "free" sign on them. They are always gone within hours. An electric stove, a dishwasher, old dresser, a riding mower.

 

[BigToque]

I do this as well. I've put several things in the front lawn by the driveway with a "free" sign on them. They are always gone within hours. An electric stove, a dishwasher, old dresser, a riding mower.

Most stuff I want to get rid of goes on the curb, even things I know I could get a few bucks for on ebay/CL. There are always people going around picking almost everything up.

As for the recycling fee, I'm fine with it, as long as someone isn't trying to charge you to drop it off again. Electronics should be recycled properly. I was under the assumption that you could just drop things like TV's off at places like BestBuy.