Senate committee advances wide-ranging e‑waste bill after hours of testimony from counties, recyclers and retailers

Senate File 1690, a proposal to expand Minnesota’s electronics stewardship system and require producers to fund statewide collection, was recommended to pass by the Senate Committee on the Environment, Climate and Legacy after more than an hour of testimony and debate on Thursday.

The committee voted to recommend the bill, as amended, by a division vote of five in favor and four opposed. Senator Coolidge moved the recommendation; the committee referred the bill to the State and Local Government Committee.

Supporters, including county officials and recyclers, told the committee the existing program leaves gaps that burden local governments and recycling facilities. Maria Johnson, co‑director of ReCap, said Minnesota’s electronic waste contains an estimated $3,100,000,000 worth of metals annually but the state “only capture[s] around 20 percent for recycling.” Johnson said improving collection and making drop‑offs free and consistent would increase jobs and local processing: a recycler in St. Cloud “looks forward to hiring up to 200 employees upon implementation of this program,” she said.

Kurt Koudelka, assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, told the committee manufacturers are already required under existing law to collect and manage certain products but are not meeting…