N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 27-2605 – Manufacturer electronic waste registration and responsibilities

1. A manufacturer shall submit a registration on a form prescribed by the department to the department by January first, two thousand eleven, along with a registration fee of five thousand dollars. The department may require such form to be filed electronically. Such registration shall include:
1. (a) the manufacturer's name, address, and telephone number;
2. (b) the name and title of an officer, director, or other individual designated as the manufacturer's contact for purposes of this title;
3. (c) a list identifying the manufacturer's brands;
4. (d) a general description of the manner in which the manufacturer will comply with section 27-2603 of this title, including specific information on the manufacturer's electronic waste acceptance program in the state, and a current list of locations within the state where consumers may return electronic waste;
5. (e) sales data reported by weight for the manufacturer's covered electronic equipment sold in this state for the previous three calendar years, categorized by type to the extent known. If the manufacturer cannot provide accurate state sales data, it must explain why such data cannot be provided, and estimate state sales data by (i) dividing its national sales data by weight by the national population according to the most recent census and multiplying the result by the population of the state, or (ii) another method approved by the department;
6. (f) a statement disclosing whether: (i) any covered electronic device sold in this state exceeds the maximum concentration values established for lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) under the restriction of hazardous substances directive (RoHS) pursuant to 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and Council and any amendments thereto and if so, a listing of any covered electronic equipment that is not in compliance with such directive; or (ii) the manufacturer has received an exemption from one or more of those maximum concentration values under the RoHS directive that has been approved and published by the European Commission; and
7. (g) any other information as the department may require.
2. A manufacturer's registration is effective upon acceptance by the department and must be updated within thirty days of any material change to the information required by subdivision one of this section.
3. Any person who becomes a manufacturer on or after January first, two thousand eleven shall register with the department prior to selling or offering for sale in the state any covered electronic equipment, and must comply with the requirements of this title.
4. No later than April first, two thousand eleven, a manufacturer shall not sell or offer for sale electronic equipment in the state unless the manufacturer has registered with the department and maintains an electronic waste acceptance program through which the manufacturer, either directly or through an agent or designee, accepts electronic waste from consumers in the state for recycling. The manufacturer shall ensure that retailers are notified of such registration.
5. The electronic waste acceptance program shall include, at a minimum:
1. (a) collection, handling and recycling or reuse of electronic waste pursuant to section 27-2603 of this title in a manner convenient to consumers. The following acceptance methods shall be considered reasonably convenient: (i) mail or ship back return programs; (ii) collection or acceptance events conducted by the manufacturer or the manufacturer's agent or designee, including events conducted through local governments or private parties; (iii) fixed acceptance locations such as dedicated acceptance sites operated by the manufacturer or its agent or designee; (iv) agreements with local governments, retail stores, sales outlets and not-for-profit organizations which have agreed to provide facilities for the collection of electronic waste; (v) community collection events; and (vi) any combination of these or other acceptance methods which effectively provide for the acceptance of electronic waste for recycling or reuse through means that are available and reasonably convenient to consumers in the state. At a minimum, the manufacturer shall ensure that all counties of the state, and all municipalities which have a population of ten thousand or greater, have at least one method of acceptance that is available within such county or municipality. The department may establish additional requirements to ensure convenient collection from consumers;
2. (b) information on how consumers can destroy all data on any electronic waste, either through physical destruction of the hard drive or through data wiping;
3. (c) a public education program to inform consumers about the manufacturer's electronic waste acceptance program, including at a minimum: (i) an internet website and a toll-free telephone number and written information included in the product manual for, or at the time of sale of, covered electronic equipment that provides sufficient information to allow a consumer of covered electronic equipment to learn how to return the covered equipment for recycling or reuse, and in the case of manufacturers of computers, hard drives and other covered electronic equipment that have internal memory on which personal or other confidential data can be stored, such website shall provide instructions for how consumers can destroy such data before surrendering the products for recycling or reuse; (ii) advertisements and press releases if any; and
4. (d) any other information as required by the department in accordance with regulations promulgated pursuant to this article.
6. A manufacturer shall maintain records demonstrating compliance with this title and make them available for audit and inspection by the department for a period of three years.
7. A manufacturer may satisfy the electronic waste collection requirements of this section by agreeing to participate in a collective electronic waste acceptance program with other manufacturers. Any such collective electronic waste acceptance program must meet the same requirements as an individual manufacturer. Any collective electronic waste acceptance program must include a list of manufacturers that are participating in such program along with other identifying information as may be required by the department. Such program shall submit a registration to the department along with a registration fee of ten thousand dollars.
8. A manufacturer shall be responsible for all costs associated with the implementation of the electronic waste acceptance program. The manufacturer shall not charge consumers for the collection, handling and recycling and reuse of electronic waste, provided that such prohibition shall not apply to a charge on business consumers or to charges for premium services. This prohibition shall not apply to a manufacturer's contract with a consumer for the collection, handling, recycling or reuse of electronic waste that was entered into prior to the effective date of this section. For purposes of this subdivision, "business consumer" means a for-profit entity which has fifty or more full time employees or a not-for-profit corporation with seventy-five or more full time employees, but not a not-for-profit corporation designated under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code. For purposes of this subdivision, "premium services" means equipment and data security services, refurbishment for reuse by the consumer, and other custom services as may be determined by the department.