Elected officials in Flushing have partnered with the Lower East Side Ecology Center to host a recycling event at Queens Botanical Garden allowing residents to properly dispose of electronic waste, textiles and paint.
Council Member Sandra Ung, Assembly Member Nily Rozic, State Sen. John Liu and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng will host the event alongside the ecology center between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. this Sunday, Nov. 16.
The event, which aims to provide members of the local community with a means to safely dispose of their unwanted electronic goods, will take place rain or shine in the Queens Botanical Garden parking lot Crommelin Street between Blossom Avenue and Saull Street.
Ung said residents can be fined if they throw out their electronics alongside their regular trash, adding that improperly disposing of electronic goods can be “extremely harmful” to the environment.
“When electronic items like these end up in landfills, they release toxic chemicals and pollutants that can leach into our soil and water, affecting our natural surroundings and posing health risks. Let’s all do our part to keep our community clean, green, and safe,” Ung said in a statement.
Organizers said electronic goods account for 70% of toxins found at landfills despite only contributing to 2% of landfill volume.
Items to be collected at Sunday’s event include working and nonworking computers, monitors, printers and scanners, keyboards, mice and televisions. Items such as VCR and DVD players, phones, audio-visual equipment, cables, and personal devices, as well as dry and odorless textiles and interior and exterior paint will also be accepted.
Ung said she hosted a similar event in April, which saw 141 participants dispose of around 5,500 of goods that would have otherwise ended up in landfills.
Meng said properly disposing of E-waste is crucial to reducing New York’s carbon footprint.
“This upcoming event will be a safe and easy way for constituents to discard their electronic items, and I am thrilled to again partner with my colleagues in bringing it to our communities,” Meng said in a statement.
Liu, meanwhile, noted that the improper disposal of electronic waste can cause severe harm to the environment and the health and well-being of the local community.
“By responsibly recycling these materials, not only can we keep these hazardous materials from polluting our air, soil and water, but we ensure valuable raw materials are reused in new products,” Liu said in a statement.
Rozic similarly said the improper disposal of electronic waste can overburden landfills and hurt local ecosystems.
Christine Datz-Romero, executive director of the Lower East Side Ecology Center, said electronic devices contain a “multitude of hazardous materials,” noting that it is also illegal in the State of New York to dispose of electronic waste alongside regular trash.
