Jan. 8, 2008 Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba have created a recycling management company to help electronics manufacturers cope with government-mandated takeback programs for their products.

The Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company (MRM) will begin services in Minnesota, which recently enacted new requirements for the recycling of used electronics. Operations will expand later this year to include Connecticut, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, and will offer recycling services in other states or on a national scale "as needed," the company says.

"We believe that forming an independent company to manage collective electronic recycling programs is the best way to achieve the economies of scale and efficiencies necessary to create a sustainable recycling system for used electronics products," says David Thompson, MRM president.

The company has already entered into collection and recycling agreements with Hitachi Electronics, JVC, Mitsubishi, Philips, Pioneer, Sanyo, and Olevia brand maker Syntax-Brillian.