When compared to 2013, shipments for Sims’ 2014 web returns service have increased by 28 percent. Established in 2011, this service originally was offered in one state receiving fewer than 200 shipments per year. It now has expanded to a nationwide service within the United States receiving more than 4,300 shipments. New York’s January 2015 landfill ban will most likely increase this number even more.
The New York landfill ban includes all electronic products covered under New York’s Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act. This Act requires original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) to offer one convenient and free method of collection to New York consumers in each county and municipality with a population of 10,000 or greater. There are currently 63 counties and 230 municipalities that meet this description. The Web Returns Service was originally created to address OEM requirements under this act, so it wasn’t a surprise to see most of the returns – 17 percent – from New York.
Other states with a high use of the service include California (12 percent), Massachusetts (9 percent) and Florida (6 percent). California has an electronics disposal ban and recycling law in place that requires consumers to pay a fee at the point-of-purchase. This fee supports the state’s robust electronics collection and recycling network, which is largely run by government and private entities. Massachusetts and Florida do not have any type of statewide recycling law in place, but Massachusetts has had a cathode ray tube (CRT) disposal ban since 2000.
Some OEMs offer this service to meet legislative collection requirements. Others use it as a beneficial customer service tool for new and existing customers throughout the nation. Regardless of the motive, the program has proven successful in helping OEMs implement secure, convenient and reliable services to their customers. To learn more about our Web Returns service, email us at [email protected].