The purpose of the TV and Computer disposal ban, which went into effect January 2010, is to require people to reuse or recycle these items. Reuse and recycling save energy, conserve resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impact. In addition, requiring manufacturers to take responsibility for end-of-life management of their products encourages them to design products with less waste and fewer toxics.

Recycling statistics: 251 million – tons of trash are recycled in the United States 53.4 – percentage of all paper products are recycled in the United States 32.5 – percentage of all total waste is recycled in the United States 100 – approximate percentage of increase in total recycling in the United States during the past decade 8,660 – number of curbside recycling programs in the United States in 2006 8,875 – number of curbside recycling programs in the United States in 2003 95 – percentage of energy saved by recycling an aluminum can, compared with manufacturing a new one 4.6 – pounds of trash per person per day in the United States (most in the world) 1.5 – pounds of recycled materials per person per day in the United States