Television segment spotlights New York’s SAFE electronics disposal events

John Shegerian, CEO of Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), based in Fresno, California, was included part of a late August roundtable discussion on toxic waste broadcast by WABC-TV in New York.

The discussion, aired as part of WABC’s “New York Viewpoint,” featured Shegerian, alongside Bridget Anderson, deputy commissioner of recycling and sustainability for the Department of Sanitation New York (DSNY), and Richard Johnsen, special service manager for Veolia North America. The panelists shared information for New York residents about how to best recycle unwanted toxic items.

“As someone who was born and raised in New York City, it’s a labor of love to be sharing this important information with my fellow New Yorkers alongside dedicated and likeminded experts such as Bridget and Richard,” says Shegerian. “Education is extremely important if we are going to be successful in our efforts, so kudos to WABC for taking the time to help us share this important information with the general public—another key step in keeping toxic items out of New York landfills.”

The discussion centered on the fact that American households generate a total of 530,000 tons of harmful and hazardous waste every year, including items such as batteries, paint, pesticides, motor oil, electronics and more.

Shegerian explained how ERI is partnering with DSNY to help create unique programs to assist New Yorkers in not only responsibly recycling and disposing of their old electronics but also making sure data on those devices is 100 percent destroyed.

The roundtable comes on the heels of the DSNY’s SAFE Disposal Events being named the winner of the 2015 Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Silver Excellence Award in the Special Waste category, a program DSNY developed in partnership with ERI and Veolia.

As part of the SAFE Disposal Events, ERI manages the collection, handling and reuse or recycling of electronic waste, while Veolia collects, handles and recycles or disposes of household hazardous waste.

ERI has a long-term contract with the city of New York, with the cost of services covered by electronics manufacturers under the New York State Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act.

The WABC segment can be viewed at http://electronicrecyclers.com/2015/08/john-shegerian-featured-on-abc7-new-york.