July 2010: Mandatory Electronics Recycling in NYC

[radiotvnut]

We have a once a year recycle day for "bulky waste". The garbage collectors will usually not pick up anything other than standard household trash. I did put a burnt up modern Lasko floor fan out on the street a few weeks ago and they did pick that up (miracle).

It does not cost anything to drop off items on recycle day; but, unfortunately, scavenging is not allowed. Once it goes into their hands, that's the end of it. Last year, I took a couple of junk '80's Zenith consoles there and all they did was throw them in a long roll-off dumpster. Fortunately, I did not see any other electronics. That's probably a good thing because there might have been a fight had I seen something like a color roundie or a Fisher 500C and they wouldn't let me have it.

Most people don't fool with recycle day. They illegally dump their trash in some ditch or in the county green boxes. Now, county officials are talking about setting up video cameras at the green boxes in order to catch illegal dumpers and scavengers. Once, a friend of mine saw someone that didn't look too well off going through some clothes that someone threw away at the dumpster. A deputy pulled up and gave them a ticked for scavenging! My friend was very upset by this and said even if he was a law enforcement officer, there's no way he'd give someone a ticket for "dumpster diving". Many of these people are "dumpster diving" out of necessity and the last thing they need is a $100 ticket.

The thrift stores aroung here are starting to get real picky. A friend of mines' son recently had a yard sale and only one thrift store in town would take the leftovers. Everyone else turned their noses up because the stuff was not new. The SA was still taking old TV's; but, they just moved into a much nicer location, so that may come to a stop. I did visit their new location and all they had in the way of TV's were '80's and '90's consoles priced between $15 and $35. I think those were brought over from the old store. I need to keep going there and encourage them to save any older TV's, etc. for me.