Electronics Recyling Law? “Yes” says City Council, “Not so fast” says Mayor
Feb 19th, 2008 by Jervey
Back and forth week for the new electronics recycling law passed by City Council.
First, there’s this:
NEW YORK (February 13, 2008) – The New York City Council passed groundbreaking legislation (Intro. 104-A) today that would institute a city-wide electronics recycling program for the 25,000 tons of discarded electronics the City collects annually, making it the first major municipality in the nation to tackle the rising tide of discarded electronics in the waste stream.
“Every time you turn around there’s a new iPod or iPhone, a new slimmer laptop or a bigger TV enticing you to purchase it,” said Kate Sinding, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “With the speed at which we upgrade our gadgets these days, it’s no wonder that electronics are the fastest-growing part of our waste stream. But now, with the City’s adoption of a 21st-century recycling measure, New York has found a solution that will undoubtedly become the model for other jurisdictions around the nation.”
The law, sponsored by 47 council members, requires computer, TV and MP3 manufacturers to take responsibility for the collection of their own electronic products when New Yorkers want to dispose of them. The measure will save the city money and give manufacturers the incentive to design less toxic and easier-to-recycle products. The city’s Department of Sanitation will have to approve each manufacturer’s collection plan, which could include curbside collection, drop-off events or mail-in programs….more
[From NRDC press release]
Then this:
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he will veto the City Council’s bill requiring electronics manufacturers to be in charge of recycling their products and would not enforce the law if his veto is overridden, AP reports.
The measure passed this week by the council requires electronics makers to develop recycling programs to handle all the electronic products they make.
Bloomberg said that the bill places an unfair burden on product makers to control what happens to it years later.
[From Environmental Leader]
And a good civics lesson from Mark Caserta of 3R Living here.