Law restricts disposal of electronics

NEW YORK--As of Jan. 1, 2015 the New York State Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act prohibits certain types of electronic waste from being placed in the trash, or at the curbside for trash pickup. The new requirement is part of a state effort to reduce damage to the environment and human health caused by electronic devices in landfills or incinerators.
Citing the potential for environmental harm from improperly disposing electronics, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens urges New Yorkers to properly recycle their unwanted computers, televisions and other electronics through the many free or low-cost options currently available.
"Incinerating electronic waste or disposing of it in a landfill can potentially put hazardous materials into the air and soil," Martens said. "New York State law requires manufacturers to provide recycling of electronic waste for consumers. Recycling electronics is one of the greatest gifts New Yorkers can give to the environment."
Items that must be recycled beginning Jan. 1, 2015, include:
• Computers (including laptops, desktops, tablets and e-readers.) Erase personal information before recycling.
• Televisions
• Cathode ray tubes
• Computer peripherals (including any cable, cord, or wiring accompanying the computer peripheral)
• Monitors
• Electronic keyboards
• Electronic mice or similar pointing devices
• Facsimile machines, document scanners, and printers (only those intended for use with a computer and weighing less than 100 pounds)
• Small electronic equipment (including any cable, cord, or wiring accompanying the small electronic equipment)
• VCRs
• Digital video recorders (DVRs)
• Portable digital music players
• DVD players (including projectors with DVD player capabilities intended for home-use)
• Digital converter boxes
• Cable or satellite receivers (including digital media receivers)
• Electronic or video game consoles (including both handheld devices and those intended for use with a video display device)
• Small scale servers
Nearby recycling locations for Penn Yan include:
• HEP Materials Corporation, 225 E. Elm St.
• The Yates County Chamber of Commerce, 2375 Route 14A.
• Finger Lakes Surplus, 266 Lake Street Plaza.
The nearest recycling locations in Dundee include:
• The town of Starkey Highway Department, 656 Dundee-Glenora Road.
• Cardinal Disposal, 635 Shannon Corners Road.
Nearby recycling locations for Watkins Glen, Montour Falls and Odessa include:
• SCT Computers, 306 N. Franklin St., Watkins Glen.
• The town of Montour, 135 Havana Glen Road.
Additional recycling options and locations are available on the DEC's website at http://bit.ly/NYewaste. Residents should check with recycling centers for drop-off times.
On the DEC's electronics recycling website, consumers will find the manufacturer's brand of equipment they wish to recycle, as well as a link to the manufacturer's recycling program webpage and a toll-free number for information about electronics recycling. The DEC's website also provides guidance for businesses, agencies and organizations on how to recycle electronics, regardless of the manufacturer.
Electronic equipment manufacturers who sell in New York State are required to accept for recycling or reuse their brand of equipment, as well as one piece of the same type of electronic waste of any manufacturer's brand.
"When you buy a new television, both the manufacturer of your new television and the manufacturer of your old television are required to accept your old television for recycling," Martens said. "It's the best way to enjoy a new computer or television, easily recycle the old one, and know you are doing your part to protect the environment."
Consumers eligible for free and convenient recycling include households, for-profit businesses, corporations with fewer than 50 full-time employees, not-for-profit corporations with fewer than 75 full-time employees, not-for-profit corporations under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code, schools and governmental entities located in New York State. For-profit businesses with 50 or more full-time employees and not-for-profit corporations with 75 or more fulltime employees, may be charged a recycling fee, as well as any consumer who opts for a premium service.