New York City Starts E-Waste Recycling Program for Apartments

New York City has launched a new electronics recycling program aimed at apartment buildings.

The program, E-cycleNYC, provides buildings with at least 10 units on-site collection of e-waste, including TVs, monitors, computers, laptops, small servers, printers/scanners, tablets/e-readers, mobile phones, MP3 players, VCRs/DVRs/DVD players, video game consoles, cable/satellite box, fax machines, keyboards, mice and hard drives, according to a city news release.

The program is a public-private partnership between the New York City Department of Sanitation and Fresno, Calif.-based Electronic Recyclers International Inc. It is free for New York City taxpayers and participating buildings. It is fully funded by electronics manufacturers as required by state law.

In New York 50 percent of the city’s population lives in apartment buildings without easy access to vehicles.  Currently there are 51 sites, representing 12,463 units, enrolled in the program.

For participating buildings, there are three service options available: room cleanouts (for buildings with at least 10 units), storage bins (for buildings with at least 50 units), and outdoor electronics recycling events (for buildings with at least 250 units).

The program builds on the success of the city’s re-fashioNYC clothing and accessories recycling program.

In 2015, it will be illegal for city residents to discard their electronics in the trash.

“The program represents the most innovative and comprehensive electronics recycling service offered in the nation,” said DSNY Commissioner Doherty.