"I have worked with Governor Quinn to make recycling of e-waste a top environmental priority for the state, which is why Illinois is a leader on removing electronics from our waste stream," Garrett said. "Senate Bill 2106 will increase the amount of e-waste that is recycled, reducing the amount of trash in landfills as well as protecting the environment and human health."

Prior to this legislation, only computers, computer monitors, televisions and printers were prohibited from being disposed of in a landfill. Products now included in this category include electronic keyboards, facsimile machines, videocassette recorders, portable digital music players, digital video disc players, video game consoles, electronic mice, scanners, digital converter boxes, cable or satellite receivers, digital video disc recorders and small scale servers. Expanding the list of available recyclables will enable Illinois’ residents to recycle items that until recently would have ended up in a landfill.

"Far too often, I have heard stories from constituents who have had a tough time locating an electronic recycling center as well as knowing what items a certain center accepts," Garrett added. "Included in this legislation is a yearly grant program that allocates $2,000 to the recycling coordinator of every Illinois county. This grant money will be used to inform residents of local recycling opportunities, ensuring all Illinoisans’ have information necessary to recycle their e-waste."

Senate Bill 2106 was passed by the General Assembly in May.