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Walking the Walk on Recycling
Aniskovich introudces bill that would ban state
use of non-reuseable products
Proposed legislation that would prohibit state agencies from purchasing products that cannot be recycled or remanufactured has moved out of the state House of Representatives and to the Senate.
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Business New Haven
4/5/1999
By: Fiona Phelan
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On March 25, the Senate Committee on General Law held a public hearing on the bill sponsored by State Sen. William Aniskovich (R-12). The bill, according to Deputy Minority Leader Aniskovich, is an attempt to lower the costs of goods to the state and to further encourage recycling.
The proposed law calls for the state to “increase state procurement of remanufactured goods and goods that contain recycled materials.” The bill goes on to stipulate that the state “shall not procure any equipment, appliance or any product for state use if the original manufacturer of said product restricts in any manner the recycling or remanufacturing of such equipment, appliance or product by any other person.”
It is that stipulation that has computer giant Lexmark International Inc. up in arms. The company, which manufactures printers and toner cartridges for printers, offers consumers a recycling option on one line of its laser cartridges.
Since May 1997, Lexmark has offered a “pre-bate” program by which consumers can purchase laser cartridges at a discount (BNH, March 22). Those cartridges, however, must be returned to Lexmark for remanufacturing. It cannot be given to any other recycler or remanufacturer. In addition, Lexmark also offers the same laser cartridge for $30 more with no restriction on how or where it can be recycled.
In response to Aniskovich's proposed legislation, Lexmark has hired lobbyists Robinson & Cole to oppose the bill, claiming that the legislation attempts to prevent the Lexington, Ky.-based firm from competing in the recycling and remanufacturing industry.
“Our position is that we feel this bill is unnecessary,” says Betsy Lang, general manager of worldwide supplies and marketing for Lexmark. “Consumers have a choice of how they want to recycle our products. They can send the product back to us or to a recycler of their choice. Bills such as the one proposed in Connecticut are unfair.”
According to Lexmark, Operation ReSource, the company's program to recycle used print cartridges for its laser printers, has eliminated more than 400 tons of materials from entering landfill space since the program's inception in 1991.
However, recycling firms and remanufacturers in Connecticut feel that Lexmark's program is unfair to their businesses. There are 79 companies throughout the state that are in the business of recycling or remanufacturing toner cartridges for business equipment such as printers.
“Lexmark's recycling program is essentially trying to eliminate other businesses from recycling [Lexmark] products,” says Mark Winik, president of Laser Image of Branford. “Their program is a threat to the industry. We fear that other printer companies might follow suit and we'll be out of business.”
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