Current regulations
Under federal regulations, unwanted electronic equipment that contains a cathode ray tube (CRT) or mercury are considered hazardous waste. Hazardous waste regulations do not apply, however, to household sources of electronics, or to "small quantity generators" - businesses that generate under 7-8 CRTs per year.

View relevant federal regulations: Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40, Part 261

Efforts to Undermine Regulations
Recent efforts by the EPA to weaken certain regulations would remove certain protections from contamination by Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT's). An EPA advisory group that included state, federal, and environmental and industry representatives have recommended to EPA that CRTs be added to the universal waste program to ensure responsible recycling. However, instead of requiring universal waste protections, EPA plans to finalize regulations that essentially deregulate these wastes. EPA's proposed exemption from RCRA for CRT glass, if followed by the states, would represent a regrettable rollback in environmental protection.

States Can Treat E-Waste as Toxic Waste
States may promulgate their own regulations defining hazardous waste. California's Department of Toxic Substances Control considers cathode ray tubes (CRTs) in computer monitors, television sets, and other devices containing significant concentrations of lead and other heavy metals, as hazardous waste when they are discarded. Therefore, they must be managed in accordance with hazardous waste requirements in California.

What's the Difference Between Hazardous Waste and Universal Waste

Hazardous waste: Hazardous wastes have properties that make them dangerous, or capable of having a harmful effect on human health and the environment. They are defined by the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) laws.

Universal waste: Universal wastes are hazardous wastes that are generated by a wide variety of people. Examples include batteries, pesticides, thermostats (containing mercury) and lamps. Universal waste rules allow these common, widely generated hazardous wastes to be managed under less stringent requirements than other hazardous wastes, particularly around storage and transportation. The goal is to get these items out of the municipal waste stream and to increase recycling and proper disposal.

States can make their own definitions of universal waste.

View EPA's list of states who have adopted their own waste definitions.