Out with the old and in with the new is the motto this time of year, and that is especially true with electronic gadgets. The U.S. generates 3.16 million tons of electronic waste! Unfortunately, the majority of this is not yet being recycled, though recycling rates have been increasing in recent years.
Electronic recycling, or eCycling is far from a seamless process with the patchwork of laws and private plans in place, but increasingly, retailers and commercial offices are making it easier to recycle. New York and 26 other states have e-waste recycling laws on the books. Click here to see list of electronic products that can be recycled in NYS.
Because electronics such as old computers, cell phones, printers, rechargeable batteries and others can contain toxic components, eCycling helps reduce land, air, and water pollution by capturing and reusing hazardous materials such as lead and chromium.