July 2010: Mandatory Electronics Recycling in NYC

[Phil Nelson]

It has been that way around here (Seattle area) for quite a while. Garbage collectors will not accept electronics, nor will some charities accept anything like an old tube TV. I tried to give away a floor fan last week, and the charity rejected that, too.

Our town is having its Fall public recycling event next weekend. They will let you drop off old tires ($1 each), appliances (various fees), and electronics. The biggest fees are for electronics: $45 for TVs over 36", $25 for console TVs, and so on.

These things really should not go into any landfill, so I don't have a problem with that.

I have heard that much of the garbage from WA is trucked hundreds of miles to Oregon. What a waste of fuel and money. And it just moves the problem from here to a less prosperous state.

On the other hand, I read a depressing article describing how much electronic recycling is shipped to places like China, where poor people sit amongst giant stacks of this stuff, busting it up with hand tools and breathing clouds of smoke from burning plastic and insulation, etc.

Europe seems to be far ahead of us in mandating that manufacturers accept their old products for recycling. Let them share the burden. If they had to recycle in their own back yards, I bet they would find cleaner methods than sending it off to be crushed and burned up in Asia. They would also have a strong incentive to build greener products in the first place.

Phil Nelson