The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The purpose of this chapter is to enact a comprehensive and innovative system for the reuse, recycling, and proper and legal disposal of used cell phones.
(b) It is the further purpose of this chapter to enact a law that establishes a program that is convenient for consumers and the public to return, recycle, and ensure the safe and environmentally sound disposal of used cell phones, and providing a system that does not charge when a cell phone is returned.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that the cost associated with the handling, recycling, and disposal of used cell phones be the responsibility of the producers and consumers of cell phones, and not local government or their service providers, state government, or taxpayers.
(d) In order to reduce the likelihood of illegal disposal of hazardous materials, it is the intent of this chapter to ensure that all costs associated with the proper management of used cell phones is internalized by the producers and consumers of cell phones at or before the point of purchase, and not at the point of discard.
(e) Manufacturers and retailers of cell phones and cell phone service providers, in working to achieve the goals and objectives of this chapter, should have the flexibility to partner with each other and with those private and nonprofit business enterprises that currently provide collection and processing services to develop and promote a safe and effective used cell phone recycling system for California.
(f) The producers of cell phones should reduce and, to the extent feasible, ultimately phase out the use of hazardous materials in cell phones.
(g) Cell phones, to the greatest extent feasible, should be designed for extended life, repair, and reuse.
(h) The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the safe, cost free, and convenient collection, reuse, and recycling of 100 percent of the used cell phones discarded or offered for recycling in the state.
(i) In establishing a cost effective system for the recovery, reuse, recycling and proper disposal of used cell phones, it is the intent of the Legislature to encourage manufacturers, retailers and service providers to build on the retailer take-back systems initiated recently by some cell phone service providers.
(j) An estimated 5 percent of obsolete cell phones are currently being recycled through a mechanism, whereby private sector recyclers provide retailers with a postage paid box for mailing returned cell phones to the recycler at no cost to the retailers. In some instances, the scrap value of these used phones is sufficient for the recycler to either pay the retailer or make a financial contribution on behalf of the retailer to a nonprofit charity. It is the intent of the Legislature that this model system be substantially expanded as a result of the enactment of this act.
(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 891, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.)