E-cycleNYC, a residential electronics recycling program launched last month by manufacturers, the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), has enrolled its 100th building.
The public-private partnership between the DSNY and ERI is free for NYC taxpayers and participating buildings. The e-waste program is fully funded by electronics manufacturers.
The program provides on-site pickup of unwanted electronics, including all 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, computer mice and hard drives.
Buildings with at least 10 units are eligible to enroll in e-cycleNYC. Depending on the size and type of building, a variety of service options are available, including storage bins, room cleanouts and outdoor electronics recycling events.
Easier consumer access to scrap electronics collection sites, spurred by manufacturer funding, has contributed to an increase in e-waste recycling and a decrease in government spending in New York State, according to a report published in July by the Product Stewardship Institute for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
End-of-life electronics worldwide are expected to increase 33 percent in just five years, reaching 65.5 million metric tons annually by 2017, according to data published earlier this week from Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) Initiative, a UN-backed alliance.
