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|  Frequently Asked
Questions About Electronics
WHY DOESN’T NYC HAVE A MORE CONVENIENT ELECTRONICS RECYCLING PROGRAM? Unfortunately due to budget cuts all electronics recycling events are cancelled. In the past the DSNY Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling has held electronics recycling events 10 times a year throughout the City. Additionally, Local Law 13 of 2008, signed by the Mayor on April 1, 2008, will add no-cost and convenient opportunities for recycling your electronics. There are also various other donation or recycling outlets available for electronics, including many manufacturer and retailer take-back programs, community group collections, and charitable organization donation programs. back to topWHY ARE ELECTRONICS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS WHEN DISCARDED? While safe to use, computers, TVs, and other electronics contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, which can pose a problem to the environment if not properly recycled. CAN RESIDENTS THROW AWAY THEIR ELECTRONICS? New York City residents can legally discard unwanted or broken electronics (computers, monitors, TVs) in the trash until July 2010. Recycling or donating these items, however, keeps hazardous materials out of the waste stream and the environment. There are many opportunities available within the City to recycle or donate electronics. City agencies, schools, businesses, and institutions (including nonprofits) are required to recycle their electronics. Local Law 13 of 2008, signed by the mayor on April 1, 2008 will make it illegal for NYC residents to discard electronics in the trash by July 2010. This law also adds additional no-cost opportunities for recycling your electronics. WHAT IS BEING DONE TO REDUCE THE TOXICITY OF ELECTRONICS? Globally, there have been initiatives to try and reduce the toxicity of electronics when alternatives are available. The European Union, Japan, China, and Korea, as well as the State of California all have legislation that requires the reduction of toxics in electronics. Many manufacturers have decided to comply with this legislation globally. Within the United States, a voluntary program, known as EPEAT, has been established to help purchasers identify electronics that meet a variety of performance indicators, including toxic reductions. When purchasing new electronics, check to see if the item you are purchasing is "EPEAT Certified." Locally, the City Council passed Local Law 120 of 2005 that limits the amount of toxicity within electronic devices purchased by City agencies. BEFORE I RECYCLE OR DONATE MY COMPUTER, HOW CAN I SAFEGUARD MY PERSONAL INFORMATION? Before disposing, recycling, or donating your computer it is a good idea to remove all personal information from your hard drive to protect yourself from identity theft. At past DSNY events, our electronics recycling vendor was required to follow a Department of Defense standard to wipe everything from the hard drive three times to ensure that all data is fully erased. Other programs may have different requirements. Contact programs individually to inquire about their data destruction techniques. Data wiping software is also available to help you wipe your hard drive prior to recycling it. A few examples of data wiping software available online include Eraser, Darik's Boot and Nuke, and Blancco's Data Cleaner. Another option is to remove the hard drive before recycling your computer. This way, you can still recycle the computer without having concerns about the data on the drive. DSNY does not endorse, has not tested, and cannot guarantee the quality of the data wiping software mentioned above. WHERE CAN I FIND FREE OR CHEAP USED ELECTRONICS? There are organizations, such as Freecycle and Craigslist, who facilitate the swapping of products, visit frequently asked questions in the NYC Stuff Exchange for listings of additional materials exchange organizations. |  |
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