SB1298 amends Hawaii’s Electronic Device Recycling and Recovery Act to broaden the products covered by the state recycling program and to update how manufacturers, collectors, and the Department of Health administer the system. The bill expands the definition of “electronic device” to include peripherals such as keyboards, mice, cords, power supplies, speakers, sound bars, and video game consoles, while also clarifying exclusions for items embedded in motor vehicles, industrial/medical equipment, certain appliances, telephones, and GPS devices. It also narrows the manufacturer definition by excluding businesses that sell only electronic device peripherals and no other covered devices.
The bill revises manufacturer recycling-plan requirements and reporting obligations. It keeps the no-cost collection framework, requires collection options in populated areas, and adds a requirement that plans describe communication with the State and counties to support consumer education. It also updates recycling targets, lowering the 2025 goal from 70 percent to 63 percent and adding new statewide manufacturer recycling goals of 66 percent in 2026 and 70 percent in 2027. Additional reporting detail is required for 2025 through 2027, including collection locations, operating hours, monthly collection data, recycler and reuse-facility information, and collector reporting on recyclers and refurbishers. The bill also directs the Department of Health to study the program and report back to the Legislature before the 2028 session with recommendations on collection weights and possible changes to the recycling-obligation formula.
SB1298 would amend multiple sections of chapter 339D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, governing electronic device recycling. It expands the scope of covered products, changes who qualifies as a manufacturer, modifies enforcement discretion by allowing rather than requiring additional penalties, and adds more detailed administrative and public-reporting requirements for manufacturers and collectors. The bill also creates new future recycling benchmarks and requires a Department of Health report to inform possible later statutory changes. Its practical effect is to bring more devices and more data into the state’s e-waste recycling framework while adjusting compliance obligations for manufacturers and collectors.
The bill appears to have generally favorable support in committee and conference, passing each recorded vote with clear majorities and no recorded opposition in several stages. The only recorded dissent was a 4-1 vote in the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, suggesting some concern at least at that stage, but the overall voting pattern indicates broad agreement on updating and expanding the recycling program. The conference committee approvals were unanimous in the recorded votes, which suggests the final version reflected negotiated consensus.
The main points of contention likely center on the scope of covered devices, the compliance burden on manufacturers and collectors, and the revised recycling targets. Expanding coverage to peripherals and certain legacy devices increases the number of products subject to take-back and reporting requirements, while excluding peripheral-only manufacturers limits the reach of the law for some smaller businesses. The bill also shifts the Department of Health’s penalty authority from mandatory to discretionary, which may have been a compromise between enforcement advocates and regulated parties. Finally, the new reporting requirements and future recycling goals may raise concerns about administrative complexity and whether the existing collection system can realistically meet the state’s targets.