Continuing a longstanding tradition, state Senator Joseph Addabbo will be co-hosting the biannual electronic waste recycling event on Sunday, May 2, in Forest Park with Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar and Councilman Robert Holden.
The Lower East Side Ecology Center will be at the Forest Park Bandshell Parking Lot for the event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“This e-waste recycling event is one of the most popular events that we put together for the community each year,” Addabbo said. “With recycling laws changing seemingly all the time, and with the Department of Sanitation still recovering from budget cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be confusing to know what is allowed to be recycled curbside. This event gives our constituents the chance to properly and safely recycle their electronics right in their own neighborhood.”
Electronics that will be accepted during the event include computers, monitors, printers, TVs, audio equipment, video games, and cellphones.
Items that will not be accepted during the event include computers, monitors, printers, TVs, audio equipment, video games, cellphones, batteries of every kind, stereo equipment, household materials and paint, and household appliances.
“This event brings our community together to combat the harm caused by electronic waste,” Rajkumar said. “The United States produces millions of tons of electronic waste each year, which creates health and environmental hazards. This event is an opportunity for us all to do some spring cleaning and at the same time protect the earth.”
Items that will be accepted include batteries of every kind, floppy disks, VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, stereo equipment, landline phones and answering machines, extension cords, smoke detectors, any hazardous materials or paint, and household appliances.
“I’m proud to provide the funding for these recycling events to the Lower East Side Ecology Center and partner with my colleagues in local government to promote them in the district,” Holden said. “These events are a great way to help protect our environment, while also providing our constituents with a convenient way to safely dispose of unwanted electronics items.”
In order to keep everyone safe, the NYC Parks Department is requiring all participants to wear masks when in the parking lot, especially while interacting with a volunteer. Participants are asked to stay in their vehicles as much as possible, for the safety of the staff and volunteers. Organizers ask that all items be placed in an easily accessible part of the car, such as the back seat or trunk, to allow a volunteer to safely remove them and bring them to the proper location.
If anyone wishes to exit their vehicle, they must have their temperature taken and fill out a visitor health questionnaire indicating if they have any symptoms of COVID-19 or if they have been in close contact with someone who has contracted the virus in the previous 14 days. They will also have to provide their name, phone number and email address for contract tracing purposes if it is found that anyone with COVID was present at the event.
“I would like to thank Assemblywoman Rajkumar and her staff for participating in this great community event for the first time, as well as Councilman Holden for his support, Community Board 10 for joining, and as always the Lower East Side Ecology Center for their continued partnership,” Addabbo said. “I hope to see many of our constituents come out and safely recycle their unwanted electronics with us.”
For more information or questions about what items can be recycled, contact Addabbo’s district office at 718-738-1111.
