Electronics recycling workers collect devices at an E-Cycle Wisconsin collection event in June 2022. | Photo by David Nevala / Courtesy of Wisconsin DNR
All 72 Wisconsin counties had at least one registered collection site or event for end-of-life electronics in 2024, according to the state’s most recent E-Cycle program report.
E-Cycle Wisconsin, which is overseen by the state Department of Natural Resources, this month published its annual report for the program year covering January to December 2024. Among other details, the report shows the number of registered, active collectors rose by 19% to 172 for 2024, mostly as a result of increased support from manufacturers for costs relating to collection sites and recycling.
And the number of registered collection sites was much higher than in previous years, at 748. The number did decrease from the previous period, which covered 18 months due to a change in the program schedule. Nevertheless, there were 283 one-day collection events in 2024, more than double the number held in July 2021-June 2022, the most recent 12-month program year.
Participating processors collected 18.5 million pounds of electronics throughout the program year, bringing the total processed since the program’s 2010 inception to 420 million pounds.
Grants help to increase resident access
One issue participants have raised in recent years is the lack of affordable, convenient recycling in some areas, the report said. To help address this issue, the state’s Department of Natural Resources awarded more than $125,000 in E-Cycle grants to 22 projects in 20 counties.
These funds helped support electronics collection in underserved communities, and included the development of two permanent collection sites and 22 one-day collection events scheduled between September 2024 and September 2025.
At least 52 free, one-day collection events took place in 35 counties that were either open to all county residents or had no residency restrictions, according to the report. Eight counties featured permanent, free collection sites for electronics from all residents. Only two counties — Chippewa in the northwest and Shawano in the northeast — had sites that were either open only to residents of a specific municipality or did not accept all eligible electronics.
In addition, the program expanded outreach efforts and conversations with stakeholders, to help bridge gaps in consumer electronics recycling and to address the challenges of the increasing volumes of lithium-ion batteries.
Manufacturer recycling targets
These conversations also resulted in a March 2024 update to the law that included a new method for calculating manufacturers’ annual recycling target, the report said. Participants had previously noted a disconnect between sales-based manufacturer recycling targets and the weight of electronics being recycled. These sales-based targets, which typically set manufacturer recycling responsibility based on the weight of devices sold in a recent year, have been revisited in numerous programs as new electronics have become lighter and lighter in weight.
In 2024, each manufacturer’s target reflected its market share of covered electronics sold in Wisconsin, rather than the previous target of 80% of the weight of covered electronics it sold to the state’s households and schools in an earlier year. Each manufacturer’s market share was multiplied by the overall state target of 23.4 million pounds, determined by the weight registered recyclers received for recycling during a recent program year.
The report also details several recommendations for legislative changes, including:
- Updating and clarifying device definitions, and giving the DNR the authority to update the list of covered devices
- Considering providing funding for facilities to install or upgrade fire detection and suppression equipment, to reduce risk of injuries, deaths and damage due to battery fires
E-Cycle Wisconsin will host a July 1 webinar to discuss the report.