Waste Management Begins E-Waste Recycling Service in New York State

Waste Management has launched an e-waste recycling service in New York state that electronics manufacturers can join to comply with the requirements of the state’s new e-waste recycling law, which took effect on April 1.

The service, which is run by Waste Management’s recycling subsidiary WM Recycle America, is called WM NYeCycles Service. The program “offers various collection methods, which include an established network of collection sites, mail back programs and community electronics recycling events to help meet manufacturers’ collection goals and requirements,” according to a Waste Management press release.

Under the terms of New York's new law, electronic manufacturers selling in the state must offer free e-waste collection programs for residents. Based on their market share in the state, the manufacturers must then recycle or re-use a certain percentage of the collected materials. Items that manufacturers are required to accept include computers, monitors, televisions, keyboards, printers, VCRs, DVD players and MP3 players.

For a complete list of the covered electronics and other details of the law, visit the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation's website at www.dec.ny.gov and click on the “Chemical and Pollution Control” link. After that, click on the “Waste Management” and then the “Special Wastes” links.

To comply with the New York law, electronics manufacturers also will have to submit annual reports to the state verifying their e-waste recycling efforts. Furthermore, the law includes an e-waste landfill disposal ban. On April 1, it became illegal for manufacturers, retailers and owners or operators of e-waste collections sites to send electronics to landfills. On Jan. 1, 2015, the ban will be extended to individuals and households.

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