People who want to churn devices should be paying a premium for any and all recycling costs (assuming perfect recycling is even possible).
I am unwilling to pay with a permanently degraded environment so that some people satisfy their consumption urges.
Clearly we shouldnt want to keep archaic stuff functional. But for some time now easily upgradeable/repairable hardware and software is effectively suppressed.
Right after this companies will invest in reducing the pollution making things and disposing of things cause. And other companies will invest in making cleaning up pollution cheaper.
Every item manufactured should have, at minimum, it's recycling or safe disposal cost included in the price.
Let consumers make decisions based on the real costs.
i think that approach solves the problem. it pushes the cost and responsibility of recycling or disposal to the seller of the new device. they will factor that into their calculation so the consumer pays for it.
If company A makes a product that is cheap to make, but expensive to recycle, and company B makes a product that is expensive to make but has recycling as a core value, and thus is cheap to recycle, company B loses when they have to take on company A's device after a sale.
The costs should be on the original manufacturer and as such, reflected in the purchase price.
Sellers taking returns is also mandated, but the real meat is in getting paid the deposit when you properly recycle the electronic.
Not just people who churn, eveybody. If you live in the state of California, you already do.