The Old Dominion State appears ready to become the next U.S. state to implement a manufacturer-responsibility system for the recovery of used electronics. One measure already has been signed by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, while another waits in the wings.

Picture a stack of used PCs packed with corporate data sitting unattended on a shipping company loading dock. Imagine what happens to your company's stock price when the Environmental Protection Agency tracks the serial numbers of lead-filled monitors from an illegal landfill back to you. Think about a villager in ...