Information for Businesses that Collect, Store, Transport, Recycle and Refurbish Electronics

E-cycling Public Meetings

The DNR will host four meetings around the state to provide information on Wisconsin's electronics recycling law. Learn more and register today!.

To encourage legitimate recycling, the DNR has reduced regulations for individuals and businesses generating, transporting, and consolidating or storing discarded electronics (often called e-scrap or e-waste) that are destined for recycling. However, individuals or businesses involved with discarded electronics processing activities--such as crushing, shredding or reclamation of electronic components--may be subject to full hazardous waste management regulations, including facility licensing. Applicable requirements are very site- and process-specific. State and federal hazardous waste laws set substantial monetary civil penalties as well as criminal penalties for violations. Those processing discarded electronics should contact your regional DNR staff for more information.

Discarded electronics may include TVs and TV accessories; cell phones; computer monitors; computer processors; and computer accessories such as keyboards, mice and printers. Most electronics contain heavy metals (such as mercury, cadmium and lead) and chemicals (such as flame-retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs), that can pose risks to the environment and human health if not properly recycled or disposed of.

Do You Transport Discarded Electronics?

Keep the following in mind if you collect discarded electronics from businesses or institutions and transport them to a site for consolidation and recycling.

Ensure the electronics are transported to a legitimate recycling facility.
Comply with all applicable U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, including proper packaging, marking and labeling; and truck placarding. For more information, call the DOT hotline at (800)467-4922.

Keep the following in mind if you collect discarded electronics from businesses or institutions and transport them to a site for disposal.

Ensure the electronics are transported to a licensed, permitted or approved hazardous waste management facility.
Comply with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.
Obtain a solid or hazardous waste transportation license from the DNR, if required. Contact your regional DNR staff for more information.

Keep the following in mind if you collect and transport discarded electronics from households/residences.

You are strongly encouraged, but not required, to transport the items to a legitimate recycling facility. Make sure residents understand whether or not their items will be recycled.
Comply with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.
If equipment comes from a home office, it must be handled like electronics from any business.
Clean Sweep events (both temporary and permanent household hazardous waste collection facilities) must recycle discarded electronics or properly manage them as hazardous waste.

Do You Consolidate and Store Discarded Electronics?

Keep the following in mind if you store discarded electronics prior to de-manufacturing or store individual components after the electronic equipment has been broken down.

Ensure containers of discarded electronics or individual components are structurally sound and compatible with the contents.
Label the containers to clearly identify the type of material.
Store broken or processed cathode ray tubes (CRTs) in a building with a roof, floors and walls or place in a container to minimize releases to the environment.
Clean up spills and manage any resulting residues promptly and appropriately.
Train employees on proper handling and response to emergencies.
Keep records of the length of time the discarded electronics and individual components have been stored on-site. You may store discarded electronics for up to one year for the purpose of consolidating sufficient quantities for economical shipments for recycling or disposal.
If you collect or store more than 5,000 kg. (11,023 lbs.) of certain discarded electronics there may be some additional requirements, such as recordkeeping, personnel training and obtaining an EPA identification number. Contact your DNR regional staff for information on applicable requirements.

Do You Process Discarded Electronics?

Processing discarded electronics and electronic components includes a number of activities, among them disassembly or de-manufacturing and further processing or recycling of the individual electronic components.

De-manufacturing and disassembly mean to manually break down discarded electronics into individual components either for resale or reuse, or for further recycling or processing. Examples are removing and sorting batteries from discarded electronics and removing circuit boards and other individual components. If you de-manufacture or disassemble discarded electronics that would otherwise be considered hazardous waste (such as cathode ray tubes):

The requirements listed above for collection and storage of discarded electronics also apply if you store the electronics prior to de-manufacturing, or store individual components after the electronics have been broken down.
In general, there are no DNR hazardous waste approvals or licenses required for simple disassembly or de-manufacturing activities. However, DNR has the authority to conduct inspections to ensure that materials are being properly managed.
Discarded electronics should be processed within a building with a roof, floor and walls, and no activities may be conducted that use temperatures high enough to volatilize lead or other metals from the electronic components.
Keep records for at least three years to verify that at least 75 percent of the discarded electronics collected was recycled each year.
Make arrangements with any downstream recyclers or commodity markets prior to disassembling discarded electronics--individual recyclers may require that the materials meet certain specifications.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) worker safety requirements may apply to your electronics recycling operation. For more information, call (800)321-6742.

Further processing or recycling of electronic components includes the following activities: reclaiming metals from batteries or circuit boards, shredding circuit boards or plastic cases from computers, and reclaiming lead from CRT glass.

Processing or recycling activities (other than processing CRT glass or certain battery processing activities) that change the physical or chemical make up of a hazardous electronic component may require a DNR hazardous waste management facility license. If you are involved in this type of recycling activity, be sure to contact your DNR regional staff for more information.
If you are processing CRT glass, please see the publication Updated Guidance for Safe Management of Cathode Ray Tubes Destined for Recycling [PDF 214KB]

More Information

Contact Information

For specific questions that apply to your business, contact your regional DNR hazardous waste staff member.

For questions and comments about Information for Businesses that Collect, Store, Transport, Recycle and Refurbish Electronic Equipment, please contact:

DNR Waste Materials@Wisconsin.gov

Last Revised: Thursday October 22 2009