There are lots of good reasons to recycle and we’ve had many of those addressed. But for me the basic of this bill comes down to an issue of fairness, that we in Utah deserve to receive the service of recycling that we pay for when we buy this product.

E-waste is among the fastest-growing environmental problems in the United States, and it’s something government officials aren’t taking lightly — according to the report, the bill passed 47-26, and is now moving on to a Senate vote where it will hopefully take hold and pave the way for more recycling laws in the future.

Even though Earth Day is a couple of weeks away, EPA is teaming up with several telecom conglomerates to promote Earth Week from today through the 12th, an event designed to raise awareness of e-waste encourage proper recycling of cell phones, PDAs, and other electronic devices.

Wireless customers of any carrier can drop off used cellphones and accessories at any of the 2,000-plus AT&T stores across the U.S. Another option is to download free shipping labels from att.com/wireless and mail the phones to Cell Phones for Soldiers (CPFS), a charity that recycles used cellphones and uses the proceeds to buy free phone cards for troops overseas.

The EPA reports that over 100 million cell phones are discarded every year, but with the help of such awareness events, perhaps we can reign that number in. For more information, podcasts, and schedules of partner events, check out the EPA’s official Earth Week page!

• Could Connecticut become a totally “green state”? [Westport Minuteman]
• Customers celebrate Dehli’s bag ban decision, but shop owners are wary. [IBN Live]
• Florida retirement homes love the ease of curbside recycling! [Villages Daily Sun]
• Texas towns are loving it just as much! [Victoria Advocate]
• Ever wonder how best to reuse leftover pet food bags? [Examiner]
• The 2009 Academy Awards are going green… with dry cleaning bags? [PR Web]
• The Superbowl is going green as well with renewable energy! [Ecorazzi]
• New jobs at the tire recycling plant in Dayton! [Coshocton Tribune]
• Seattle: working to find better solutions for e-waste. [Seattle Times]

Whenever I hear “E-Cycling,” I think of some amazing new technology that allows you to shoot your old trash and junk over to the recycling plant by means of e-mail. Of course, it isn’t — “E-Cycling” is simply the term used for recycling and managing potentially hazardous electronic waste, and, thanks to a new state law passed in Washington, managing that waste is about to become a whole lot more pleasant.

Do you have an old TV, laptop or monitor? Now you can easily recycle it for free, thanks to a new state law.

The E-Cycle Washington program requires manufacturers to provide recycling services for TVs, desktop computers, laptop computers and monitors at no cost to residents, nonprofits, small businesses, schools and local governments.

Normally, the onus of proper electronics disposal is left to the consumers, who are often uneducated on the subject and are thrown into a disarray of confusion and inconvenience. This step by Washington government could prove vital in curbing misplacement and careless abandonment of e-waste, an incredibly important step considering that e-waste is a very dangerous thing.

Certain components of some electronic products contain materials that render them hazardous, depending on their condition and density. For instance, California law currently views nonfunctioning CRTs (cathode ray tubes) from televisions and monitor as hazardous.

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In addition, some researchers estimate that nearly 75 percent of old electronics are in storage, in part because of the uncertainty of how to manage the materials. Combine this with increasing advances in technology and new products headed towards the market and it is no wonder that “e-waste” is a popular topic.

The law isn’t foolproof — it does not currently address the issue of smaller electronics like MP3 players, DVD and CD players, printers, scanners, or cell phones to name just a few — but hopefully these issues will be addressed in the near future. Even more importantly, if this law goes over well perhaps its influence will spread to nearby (and even not-so-nearby) states. It seems small, but the impact of this law on the environment could be massive.

Photo via Flickr!