Each summer, city residents are asked to make a trip to a local e-waste recycling center to dispose of their broken and dead electronics. It's crazy how much e-waste that we are all consuming, and how often we upgrade our phones, TVs, video games, DVD players, etc. Just take a look in your closets, basements and garages. I bet that there are plenty of electronics that have been sitting around just waiting for trash day. Unfortunately we are unleashing large amounts of hazardous materials into the environment each time we throw away a spent electronic. What might appear harmless actually contributes to high levels of lead, mercury, and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which pollute our land, water and air. Not to mention that many components can be recycled and The next time you go to throw out an old VCR... think about it.
Here are the details of The City's summer e-waste recycling day:
This free event will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2012 at Buffalo State College, Lot G off Grant Street, and will be cosponsored by Buffalo State EverGreen.
Residents are encouraged to properly dispose of electronic equipment by dropping off their e-waste between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Items accepted at this free-of-charge recycling event are computer systems (CPU's, monitors, mice, keyboards, printers and scanners), cell phones, fax machines, wires, televisions, video games, VCRs, and DVD players.
New York State law now prohibits municipalities from discarding e-waste into landfills, so these materials should be recovered, recycled at all times.
Electronics recycling services are always available year-round at the City of Buffalo Engineering Garage (1120 Seneca St. from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.). For more information, please call the Mayor's Call and Resolution Center at 716-851-4890 or 311, or visit www.city-buffalo.com/recycle.
The city not long ago came out with these great new large green recycle bins, why can't electronics and batteries be added to what can be picked up? I would bet that more people would recycle if it were more convenient. Who has the time to run to a separate drop off location for an one old receiver, DVD player or batteries? There should be a way of expanding the city's single stream sorting facility to add electronics and there is a lot more money in electronic refuse than paper, plastic and glass.