According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, more than 100 million computers, monitors, and TVs are thrown away each year. The Environmental Protection Agency says electronics make up only 1% of all landfills yet account for 70% of the toxins produced by those landfills. Electronic waste may contain harmful materials, including lead, mercury, cadmium, phosphors, and flame-retardants. Recycling your old or unwanted electronics decreases energy and water use, reduces pollution, and keeps those hazardous materials out of our air and water.
Earth Month is conveniently during spring, so it is time to spring clean your tech by recycling it. Here in New York, organization like the Lower East Side Ecology Center in NY are making is easy, safe, and free to reduce your eWaste.
Anything you’ve got that “turns on” or “plugs in.” They will accept the following working and non-working equipment:
Computers (laptops & desktops, servers, mainframes)
Monitors
Printers, scanners, fax-machines, copiers
Network devices (routers, hubs, modems, etc.)
Peripherals (keyboards, mice, cables, cords, chargers, etc.)
Tablets and E-readers• Components (hard drives, CD-ROMs, circuit boards, power supplies, etc.)
TVs, VCRs, DVRs, & DVD Players
Digital Converter Boxes, Cable/Satellite Receivers
Portable music players
Audio-visual equipment
Video-games
Cell phones, pagers, PDAs
Telecommunication (phones, answering machines, etc.)
They will NOT accept home appliances such as microwaves, refrigerators, air conditioners, ionization smoke detectors, or carbon monoxide detectors (those that are labeled as containing radioactive material). For information on how to dispose of these items, click linked item.
April 13: Bushwick • Maria Hernandez Park – Knickerbocker Ave. btwn. Starr St. & Suydam St., Brooklyn
April 13: Fort Greene • Habana Outpost – Fulton St. btwn. South Portland Ave. & South Oxford St., Brooklyn
April 14: Melrose • Landmark Courthouse – 3rd Ave. & E. 161st St., Bronx
April 14: Van Cortlandt Park • Broadway btwn. Manhattan College Pkwy. & Post Rd., Bronx
April 20: Bay Ridge • Poly Prep Country Day School – 9216 7th Ave., Brooklyn
April 20: Park Slope • 5th Ave. btwn. 3rd St. & 4th St., Brooklyn
April 20: Tompkinsville • St. George Day – 1901 Ocean Pkwy., Staten Island
April 21: Upper West Side • Amsterdam Ave. btwn. 73rd St. & 74th St., Manhattan
April 27: Forest Hills • P.S. 101Q – 2 Russell Pl., Queens
If you have a computer or 2 that you want to recycle, you can also drop off at TekServe anytime of the year
You can also bring your items to the Lower East Side Ecology Center’s permanent e-waste collection center located at 469 President Street (at Nevins Street); Brooklyn, NY 11215 -(718) 858-8777. They also sell some items at low cost. Call for center and store hours.
