TRENTON, NJ -- The governor of New Jersey this week signed a law banning electronics devices from state garbage cans and landfills after Jan. 1, 2009.

In signing the new rule, Governor Jon Corzine cited the disproportionate amount of toxic waste generated by discarded TVs, PCs, cellphones and other such devices. "The type of waste generated by televisions and computers, while relatively small in volume, accounts for a significant percentage of this nation's toxic waste," he said. "The electronic waste stream that will be required to be recycled under this bill can contain significant and dangerous levels of a wide variety of materials, including lead, mercury, cadmium, and PCBs."

The law, called the Electronic Waste Recycling Act, requires electronics producers to pay state registration fees of at least $5,000 per year.

Saying he recognized the bill's impact on manufacturers, Gov. Corzine asked the Department of Environmental Protection to work with the bill's sponsors in order "to further craft and refine this measure."

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