(1) A manufacturer must participate in an independent plan or the standard plan to implement and finance the collection, transportation, and recycling of covered electronic products.

     (2) An independent plan or the standard plan must be implemented and fully operational no later than January 1, 2009.

     (3) The manufacturers participating in an approved plan are responsible for covering all administrative and operational costs associated with the collection, transportation, and recycling of their plan's equivalent share of covered electronic products. If costs are passed on to consumers, it must be done without any fees at the time the unwanted electronic product is delivered or collected for recycling. However, this does not prohibit collectors providing premium or curbside services from charging customers a fee for the additional collection cost of providing this service, when funding for collection provided by an independent plan or the standard plan does not fully cover the cost of that service.

     (4) Nothing in this chapter changes or limits the authority of the Washington utilities and transportation commission to regulate collection of solid waste in the state of Washington, including curbside collection of residential recyclable materials, nor does this chapter change or limit the authority of a city or town to provide such service itself or by contract pursuant to RCW 81.77.020.

     (5) Manufacturers are encouraged to collaborate with electronic product retailers, certificated waste haulers, processors, recyclers, charities, and local governments within the state in the development and implementation of their plans.

[2006 c 183 § 3.]