New Law in New York State - Free Electronics Recycling

Televisions, computers, cell phones and other electronics are covered by a new New York State "e-waste" law that went into effect April 1, 2011.

Our local governments will no longer have to fund the collection of digital waste which in turn, they passed on to us. Now the manufacturers like Apple and Microsoft, must pay to recover their products.

First, the manufacturer must pay to recycle one old item for every new product a consumer buys. Second, they are required to fund take-back programs, usually run by third parties that collect e-waste at local transfer stations and recycling events.

The third parties typically dismantle the products to remove anything they can use or sell and are required to recycle what they can't use.

Consumers will no longer have to pay fees to recycle their digital trash.

I like to think that I'm a loyal recycler. I participate in the Staples printer cartridge recycle program. I use my own tote bags for groceries and shopping. I sort my trash and deliver the recyclables myself to the Convenience Station. I support my local Library by donating all books, videos, CDs and DVDs and also by utilizing their services and no longer purchasing books. I keep stuff for a very long time meaning I try to control my shopping experiences big and small. Just look at my clothes closet or my furniture and you'll understand. Oh, my car is also 10 years old...not the greatest on gas but I don't go too far anyway.

Computers and printers though, that is another story. The picture here is only half of what is in my house. I could add two more towers, two more printers, two more laptops, and a broken LCD monitor. But I have those tucked nice and neatly in a closet.

Why have I held on to this outdated technology? Three reasons seem to make sense to me:

1. No easy way to recycle and it was expensive. Locally, it cost $18 to recycle a printer at the landfill.

2. All those hard drives really do have documents and pictures I need to save. For some reason, I refused to believe that hard drives do crash and you need to backup your stuff.

3. Fear of personal information from those hard drives getting into the wrong hands. A hammer and a good swing can fix that though. That is, after I get all those documents and pictures off them. (Best Buy is telling me they can do it!)

Best Buy is one of several companies that have Buy Back programs. If you purchase an item and you want to upgrade, they'll buy it back in the form of a gift card, as long as it's in good condition. Currently, it's a sliding scale up to 24 months.

New York State will require mandatory recycling of electronics by 2015.

So, search your local area and find out what you can do. It is getting easier to recycle our digital products.