Starting January 1, 2015 New York Households Will Be Required to Recycle E-Waste

Beginning January 1, 2015, any New Yorker who disposes of an old computer, television, or even an iPod, i.e., “electronic waste” (“e-waste”), by placing that item in the garbage or leaving it on the curb for collection will be in violation of the New York State Electronic Recycling and Reuse Act, N.Y. Envtl. Conserv. Law § 27-2601, et seq.. Individual consumers will instead be required to recycle such e-waste by dropping it off at a registered e-waste collector or by returning it to an e-waste manufacturer, or risk being fined $100 each time they fail to do so.

Although individual consumers in the State have never before had a legal obligation to recycle e-waste, the application of New York’s e-waste recycling mandate to individual households has been a long time in the making: The Act itself was signed into law on May 28, 2010, and the provisions within the Act requiring all businesses to comply with the Act’s e-waste recycling requirements have been in effect since January 1, 2012. As such, it appears that the broader application of the Act to individual households will have limited impact on the greater New York business community. Either way, one thing is certain: any New Yorker who has resolved to be less wasteful in the New Year will have one more reason to honor that resolution. Residents of New York City can find a drop-off location with this interactive map. For residents outside of NYC, this interactive map will locate drop off locations.