CRRA2019

Manager, Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program

Ana-Maria Stoian-Chu leads the development, implementation, and administration of CalRecycle’s Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program. Previously, she was responsible for supervising one unit in the Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program. Prior to working for CalRecycle, she was based in Brussels, Belgium, where she served in the Government Affairs department for Umicore, a global materials technology and recycling group. She earned a Master’s degree in International Politics from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. 

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California’s Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 is one of the most successful recycling programs in the country. Since its inception, over 2.3 billion pounds of covered video display devices have been collected and recycled. However, electronics technology is rapidly evolving, and electronics are becoming more intricate, specialized, and ubiquitous. Right now, the state’s Covered Electronic Waste (CEW) Recycling Program includes just a fraction of the estimated 120 million electronic devices purchased in California each year. Without a change, millions of these devices could be illegally disposed,improperly managed, or shipped overseas if the cost to properly manage these additional electronic devices is not covered. These electronic devices often contain hazardous materials such as lead and mercury, and improper handling and illegal disposal can have harmful public health and environmental consequences. In addition, lithium-ion batteries hidden inside electronic devices pose a fire, healthy, and safety hazard. These risks can be mitigated by properly recycling e-waste, which provides economic benefits through jobs creation and recovery of precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper.

In an effort to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology and global market conditions, and ensure the continued success of the CEW Recycling Program, CalRecycle has released a report with a set of recommendations to redesign California’s Electronic Waste Recycling Act. This report is the result of two years of workshops, surveys, and engagement with tech leaders and other stakeholders.