California Recycle fee exempt?

Question

California Recycle fee exempt?

I just bought a MB at Best Buy and I was charged a California Recycle Fee. This was established to help with recycle costs on CRT, LCD and Plasma screens. This is the list:

-Cathode ray tube (CRT) devices (including televisions and computer monitors;
-LCD desktop monitors;
-laptop computers with LCD displays;
-LCD televisions; and
-plasma televisions.
-portable DVD players with LCD screens (added December 31,2006)
http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/EWaste/ and http://www.erecycle.org/fee.htm

So are the new Macbooks exempt from this fee due the fact that they are LED and not LCD?

Should Best Buy reimburse me my $?

MacPro/Macbook, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Nov 25, 2008 5:46 PM

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Answer 1

dasein

Level 1

85 points

Nov 25, 2008 7:07 PM in response to armandoEstrada

Once a tax, always a tax.

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Answer 2

Nov 25, 2008 9:34 PM in response to armandoEstrada

"A video display device may use, but is not limited to, a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), gas plasma, digital light processing or other image projection technology."

Since it is not "limited to" these technologies I would say you are not entitled to a refund, but I'm not a lawyer.

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Answer 3

Nov 25, 2008 9:54 PM in response to armandoEstrada

Technically this tax should not apply to the new LED-backlit displays. These displays do not have the hazardous chemicals that were used in non-LED displays, and as such do not need to be recycled in the same way. However, once a law covers a broad description such as "LCD computer displays", everything in that description is included regardless of changes in technology. This will be true until the legislation is refined to exclude the new technologies. It's a valid concern, but the way to do it is to contact the california legislators.

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