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11 <br />Guide for Appliance Recyclers <br />June 2004 <br />What are the existing California regulations for major appliances that contain <br />mercury? <br />Major appliances are not allowed to be disposed of in the regular garbage (municipal <br />solid waste landfill). In 1997, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 847, <br />Statutes 1997, chapter 884 (Stats. 1997, ch. 884), which requires that mercury switches <br />be removed from discarded major appliances before they are crushed or shredded for <br />recycling. In 2001, the California Legislature expanded the scope of the Universal <br />Waste Rule by passing the California Mercury Reduction Act of 2001 through Senate <br />Bill 633, (Stats. 2001, ch. 656). (Refer to the fact sheet, "SB 633: California's Mercury <br />Reduction Act of 2001" on the Department of Toxic Substances Control's (DTSC) Web <br />site, www.dtsc.ca.gov/Schools/EA_FS_SB633.pdf.) In March 2003, DTSC adopted the <br />Mercury Waste Classification and Management regulations (MWCM), California Code of <br />Regulations, title 22, section 66273.1 et seq. (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 22, § 66273.1, et <br />seq.). <br />Under these regulations, mercury switches removed from major appliances are <br />considered hazardous waste, but they may be managed as universal waste, which has <br />simpler and less expensive handling requirements. (Refer to the fact sheet, "Managing <br />Universal Waste in California" on DTSC's Web site, <br />www.dtsc.ca.gov/PublicationsForms/HWM—FS_UWR.pdf.) <br />What will the new MWCM regulations stipulate? <br />Beginning February 9, 2006, the new regulations will designate any discarded major <br />appliance as a hazardous waste if it contains mercury switches. It will be considered a <br />listed hazardous waste (California Hazardous Number M002). The new regulations <br />also allow the products to be managed as universal waste. These requirements are <br />further discussed in the section of this manual titled, "HANDLING AND RECYCLING <br />MERCURY SWITCHES," and in more detail in the fact sheet, "Managing Universal Waste in <br />California," noted above. <br />Who is affected by the new regulations? <br />Scrap metal recyclers who accept discarded major appliances are affected by the new <br />regulations because they are usually the last facilities to handle the appliances before <br />they are crushed and shredded. Scrap metal recyclers are, therefore, required by law, <br />per Public Resources Code, section 42175, to remove switches from any major <br />appliances that require special handling prior to the appliances being crushed for <br />transporting or transferring to a baler or shredder for recycling. Additionally, any facility <br />that currently removes or handles mercury switches is allowed to manage these <br />switches as universal waste. <br />A <br />