Concerns are being raised about legislation requiring companies that make computers and TVs to help recycle their old products.
Rick Goss with the Information Technology Industry Council, a trade group representing several electronics producers, says the bill will load extra costs on manufacturers. For many companies, he says it will result in either job cuts or price increases for consumers.
The legislation requires companies to recycle a percentage of old electronics for each new item them sell in Wisconsin. Goss says most companies don't sell directly to consumers, so they have to contract out collection services to meet the quotas set up by the bill.
In states with similar legislation, Goss says tech companies are already being taken advantage of by companies that are charging just under the penalty they'd have to pay if they don't meet their quota.
However, Neil Peters-Michaud of Cascade Asset Management, an IT recycling company, says it's not his industry that's running the show. He says it's "ridiculous" to think recyclers could hold multi-billion-dollar companies hostage.
The bill is currently being considered by a Senate committee.
