(Photo: DSNY)
Sept. 20, 2018 By Tara Law
Residents of western Queens will soon have an easy option to get rid of their electronic waste— calling the Department of Sanitation.
Starting Oct. 1, residents of community boards 1 (which includes Astoria and East Elmhurst), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 will be able to request curbside collection of their e-waste by calling 311 or submitting a form at nyc.gov/electronics.
The program has been implemented because New Yorkers are banned from putting e-waste in with their garbage or recycling— and can be slapped with a $100 fine for improperly disposing of it. That’s because electronic waste can be toxic to the people handling it and the environment, particularly after it’s incinerated.
The e-waste program will include electronic items that cannot go into regular trash, such as televisions, computers, electronic keyboards, mice, DVD players, video game consoles and other similar devices, according to the Department of Sanitation. Residents are asked to consult a list before recycling electronics, as some items— such as vacuums and toasters— are not considered to be e-waste.
The curbside collection program is an expansion of an existing service which is currently available in Staten Island and northern Brooklyn. The service will also be extended to south Brooklyn after Oct. 1, the Department of Sanitation said.
E-waste should be placed on the curb after 4 p.m. the night before a scheduled pick-up. Pickups will be available on weekdays, except for City holidays, and are available up to two weeks in advance.
The department suggests that residents first try to sell or donate working electronics. Residents can go to nyc.gov/donate to find a list of places that accept donations.
For those who want to dispose of their e-waste themselves, the city publishes a map of drop-off locations for electronic garbage.
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