The proper disposal of old electronics is an ever increasing problem as we continue to live in the information and digital age. New York City is currently trying to address this problem by passing one of the toughest electronics recycling programs in the country. We'll see how that turns out as currently the bill is facing a veto threat from Mayor Bloomberg (not very surprising).
The NYC Department of Sanitation (Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse, and Recycling) is also being called to action as they recently sent out a Request for Proposal to numerous consultants seeking a comprehensive analysis to understand how current generation and collection practices facilitate or hinder full recycling. Considering that I recently moved out of the Upper West Side ~ 3 months ago and my building didn't have fully recycling, well, I would tend to think the "hinder" part would be most applicable.
Just to help illustrate how big of a problem this is, The New York Times reported that "In 2005, consumers threw out as much as 2.2 million tons of electronics, 25,000 tons from New York alone." Increasingly consumers are looking to properly dispose of tires, paint, glass and other items. There are companies out there to help, which are just starting to be publicized - 1-800-Recycling for instance. This is all good news, although the fact still remains we are in dire need of a bill that would require electronics makers to take responsibility for their products once their useful lives are over, with the intent of encouraging companies to design products that are more recyclable.
Posted by Liz.
The NYC Department of Sanitation (Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse, and Recycling) is also being called to action as they recently sent out a Request for Proposal to numerous consultants seeking a comprehensive analysis to understand how current generation and collection practices facilitate or hinder full recycling. Considering that I recently moved out of the Upper West Side ~ 3 months ago and my building didn't have fully recycling, well, I would tend to think the "hinder" part would be most applicable.
Just to help illustrate how big of a problem this is, The New York Times reported that "In 2005, consumers threw out as much as 2.2 million tons of electronics, 25,000 tons from New York alone." Increasingly consumers are looking to properly dispose of tires, paint, glass and other items. There are companies out there to help, which are just starting to be publicized - 1-800-Recycling for instance. This is all good news, although the fact still remains we are in dire need of a bill that would require electronics makers to take responsibility for their products once their useful lives are over, with the intent of encouraging companies to design products that are more recyclable.
Posted by Liz.
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