Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program Update

Implementation of the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003

The Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 (PRC 42460, et seq.) established the Covered Electronic Waste (CEW) Recycling Program. This program is a funding mechanism to improve and provide proper end-of-life management of certain hazardous electronic products.

In 2022, Senate Bill (SB) 1215 was passed, adding covered battery-embedded products to the CEW Recycling Program.

The data presented is provided annually. The data presented is for video display devices and does not include battery-embedded products. Battery-embedded product data will be available sometime in 2027.

Revenue Payment Status

CalRecycle is statutorily obligated to adjust the CEW recycling fee to maintain fund solvency. In 2025, CalRecycle performed an assessment and decided to maintain the fee at the current rates of $4, $5, and $6 per device (depending on the screen size).

CEW Recycling Program Participants (as of June 2025)

Approved Collectors: 291*
*Includes Approved Collectors that are also Approved Recyclers
Approved Recyclers: 21

Voluntary participation includes a diverse group of organizations, such as non-profit organizations, solid waste management companies, local governments, and traditional e-waste collection and recycling businesses.
DTSC inspections of recycling facilities and compliance with environmental standards are required for participant approval and eligibility to receive payments.
The infrastructure that recovers CEW also recovers miscellaneous electronic waste not regulated or funded by the CEW Recycling Program.

Visit the Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program webpage for information on:

Types of devices included in the definition of CEDs
Key elements of the program
Payment rates
Consumer fees and
Laws

CEW page

covered electronic devices examples (LCD computer screen, portable DVD player with LCD screen, OLED television, LCD tablet

Payment Rates Used as of the End of the Calendar Year 2025

CalRecycle pays approved recyclers the combined recovery and recycling payment. Approved recyclers are required to pay collectors the recovery payment.

As of July 1, 2025, the recovery rate for all CEW due to collectors is $0.40 per pound.
The combined recovery and recycling payment rates are:
- $1.19/lb. for cathode ray tube (CRT) CEW
- $1.16/lb. for non-CRT CEW

Year-to-Year Comparison (based on claim reporting month*)

Claims Submitted (with cost in millions (M) and approximate million pounds):

2005: 216 total, $31 M (64 M pounds)
2006: 283 total, $61 M (127 M pounds)
2007: 350 total, $88 M (184 M pounds)
2008: 403 total, $96 M (220 M pounds)
2009: 300 total, $72 M (185 M pounds)
2010: 251 total, $75 M (194 M pounds)
2011: 298 total, $77 M (198 M pounds)
2012: 314 total, $83 M (212 M pounds)
2013: 274 total, $79 M (202 M pounds)
2014: 269 total, $77 M (183 M pounds)
2015: 247 total, $77 M (175 M pounds)
2016: 208 total, $72 M (153 M pounds)
2017: 222 total, $63 M (128 M pounds)
2018: 229 total, $51 M (101 M pounds)
2019: 240 total, $47 M (90 M pounds)
2020: 206 total, $50 M (74 M pounds)
2021: 204 total, $56 M (73 M pounds)
2022: 215 total, $58 M (64 M pounds)
2023: 205 total, $67 M (64 M pounds)
2024: 220 total, $72 M (65 M pounds)
2025: 236 total, $80 M (67 M Pounds)

*Note: As of January 2018, the tracking of these values was standardized to remove claims that were rejected due to deficiencies or the claimant’s request.

Year-to-Year CRT vs Non-CRT Unit Comparison (based on claim reporting month*)

Units Transferred in millions (M):

2015: 2.6M total, 2.2M CRT (84%), 0.4M Non-CRT (16%)
2016: 2.4M total, 1.8M CRT (76%), 0.6M Non-CRT (24%)
2017: 2.2M total, 1.4M CRT (63%), 0.8M Non-CRT (37%)
2018: 1.9M total, 1.0M CRT (54%), 0.9M Non-CRT (46%)
2019: 2.0M total, 0.8M CRT (41%), 1.2M Non-CRT (59%)
2020: 1.7M total, 0.6M CRT (33%), 1.2M Non-CRT (67%)
2021: 1.9M total, 0.5M CRT (24%), 1.5M Non-CRT (76%)
2022: 2.0M total, 0.3M CRT (16%), 1.7M Non-CRT (84%)
2023: 2.1M total, 0.2M CRT (11%), 1.9M Non-CRT (89%)
2024: 2.2M total, 0.2M CRT (9%), 2.0M Non-CRT (91%)
2025: 2.2M total, 0.2M CRT (9%), 2.0M Non-CRT (91%)

*Unit type (CRT or non-CRT) data is only available for 2015 and after.

Approximately 23.2M total units, 9.2M CRT (40%), 14.2M non-CRT (61%), were transferred during the reporting months of January 2015 to December 2025.

CalRecycle has annually denied between 1% and 12% of the money claimed in the CEW Recycling Program due to non-compliant documentation (14 CCR 18660.3).
The total payment adjustments from the start of the program through December 2025 are about $27 million (approximately 1.9% of the claims).

Compliance Assurance and Fraud Prevention

CalRecycle and DTSC cooperate on regulatory and enforcement responsibilities that ensure those regulated comply with the law.
CalRecycle has statutory authority to impose administrative civil penalties against any person for false statements or representations made in documentation for the purpose of compliance with the law.
CalRecycle works with the Department of Food and Agriculture’s Division of Measurement Standards to verify that approved recyclers are complying with applicable weights and measures laws and regulations.

Other Program Implementation Activities

Annual Net Cost Reporting

Program participants must report annually on costs to handle and process CEW. The information is used to inform CalRecycle’s mandate to consider payment rate adjustments (per PRC 42477 and 42478).

2005-2025 Pounds of CRT and Non-CRT CEW Claimed for Payment

CEW Recycling Payment System
Pounds of CRT and Non-CRT Claimed for Payment

Click on chart to enlarge. See Appendix 1 toggle for a detailed breakdown of the data at the bottom of the webpage.

*Comments on the Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Payment System Chart: The chart depicts claim volumes, reflecting the program’s evolution from its inception in January 2005 through December 2025. Factors affecting the fluctuating volumes include infrastructure development, the digital television broadcast transition in 2009, CRT glass market disruptions, and legacy stockpile depletion.

2015-2025 Units of CRT and Non-CRT CEW Transferred

CRT vs. Non-CRT Units Transferred by Reporting Year 2015-25

See Appendix 2 toggle for a detailed breakdown of the data at the bottom of the webpage.

Outreach and Other Resources

CalRecycle’s Electronic Waste Management webpage: management of electronic waste information and California recycling directory.
The Department of Tax and Fee Administration’s Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Fee Guide: information about the Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Fee and the obligations of CED retailers and consumers in California.
The Department of Toxics Substances Control website: information on covered devices, hazardous waste management standards, and regulatory requirements.

Chart Appendices

Appendix 1

Year	CRT Pounds Claimed	Non-CRT Pounds Claimed
2005	64,389,782	43,035
2006	126,567,589	70,698
2007	184,001,227	128,645
2008	219,279,718	234,385
2009	184,608,662	518,186
2010	192,183,827	1,354,261
2011	195,464,611	2,220,497
2012	208,612,778	3,390,096
2013	197,514,080	4,159,422
2014	177,646,847	5,754,842
2015	166,208,186	9,179,570
2016	140,132,266	12,931,644
2017	109,299,702	18,281,932
2018	80,580,813	20,357,824
2019	62,387,602	27,921,106
2020	43,421,265	30,463,119
2021	34,496,452	38,658,389
2022	23,169,414	41,066,955
2023	17,259,082	46,901,833
2024	14,090,017	50,425,036
2025	11,577,749	56,852,728

Appendix 2

Year	CRT Units	CRT Percent	Non-CRT Units	Non-CRT Percent	Total Transferred Units
2015	2,193,592	84%	417,255	16%	2,610,847
2016	1,789,027	76%	569,648	24%	2,358,675
2017	1,391,576	63%	814,124	37%	2,205,700
2018	1,036,205	54%	876,482	46%	1,912,687
2019	801,699	41%	1,151,389	59%	1,953,088
2020	554,672	33%	1,150,823	67%	1,705,495
2021	454,860	24%	1,479,956	76%	1,934,816
2022	320,697	16%	1,695,366	84%	2,016,063
2023	239,607	11%	1,896,828	89%	2,136,435
2024	200,444	9%	1,954,302	91%	2,154,746
2025	162,891	7%	2,064,650	93%	2,227,541