Curbside electronic waste collection has come to seven eastern Queens community boards, completing the city program’s expansion across the borough.
The Department of Sanitation announced that residents in community boards 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 — along with all Bronx community boards — are now eligible to make an appointment for curbside collection of unwanted electronics covered under the state’s electronics disposal ban.
Residents can call 311 or visit nyc.gov/electronics to schedule a pickup appointment, which take place Monday to Friday, except for holidays. The expansion means that all residents in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island can participate in e-waste collection, which is one of several options for electronics disposal.
“We are excited to be able to continue to expand our curbside collection of certain e-waste and make it available to all communities in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island,” Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia said. “Electronics often contain harmful materials, including lead, mercury and cadmium. We want to keep these toxins from polluting the air, soil and water. Our curbside collection program, along with our ecycleNYC initiative, drop off locations and special events, give residents across the city a number of options when looking to dispose of their e-waste.”
According to DSNY, not all items with a plug are considered e-waste under the program. Items such as fans, toasters and vacuums and other mostly plastic and metal items should be placed with regular recycling.
The following is a list of covered e-waste items:
- Televisions (including cathode ray tubes)
- Computer peripherals, including any permanently attached cable or wiring
- Monitors, laptops
- Electronic keyboards
- Electronic mice and other pointing devices
- Fax machines, document scanners, and printers that are meant for use with a computer and weigh less than 100 pounds
- TV peripherals, including any permanently attached cable or wiring
- VCRs
- Digital video recorders
- DVD players
- Digital converter boxes
- Cable or satellite receivers
- Electronic or video game consoles
- Small-scale servers
- Portable devices, including any permanently attached cable or wiring
- Portable digital music players
“Expanding the Department’s e-waste curbside collection program will provide northeast Queens residents with a convenient avenue to recycle their unwanted electronics and keep toxins out of New York landfills,” said Councilman Paul Vallone. “This is an important change for my district’s senior and homebound residents, who, until now, were faced with the challenge of transporting these items to disposal events and drop-off sites. I thank Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia for her attention to this issue and I look forward to continued partnership with the Department in improving quality of life for all.”
Sanitation workers are not allowed to enter private property, so any items for pickup must be placed at the curb. After collection, Veolia Environmental Services and ERI remove the e-waste for proper and safe recycling.
“Queens Community Board 7 has advocated for the expansion of curbside e-waste pickup for all of Queens since the NYC curbside pilot program began in Staten Island three years ago,” said Chuck Apelian, vice chairman of Community Board 7. “Curbside pickup allows responsible citizens of Community Board 7 and the rest of Queens a convenient way to properly dispose their obsolete electronic equipment. This will translate into the recovery and responsible recycling of millions of pounds of e-waste that previously had been stored in Queens homes because homeowners did not know how to correctly dispose of it.”
Before scheduling a pickup appointment, DSNY asks that residents consider selling or giving away unwanted but functional electronic items. For information on donation options, visit nyc.gov/donate.
Other options for recycling electronic items include Special Waste Drop-Off locations or DSNY SAFE Disposal events. For more information, visit nyc.gov/electronics.
