E-cycleNYC program serves 1 million people

The e-cycleNYC program is now serving more than 1 million New York City residents, according to the creators and operators of the electronics recycling program.

A joint press conference held in mid-July by the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), Electronic Recyclers International (ERI) and cooperating electronics manufacturers also served as “a progress report for the fast-growing program, which had its first pickup at North Shore Towers in Queens less than two years ago,” said e-cycleNYC’s backers.

The program is funded by electronics manufacturers and is offered free to residents of participating buildings.

“We are honored to have co-created this constructive collaboration and this historic and successful partnership with the great city of New York and forward-thinking manufacturers such as Samsung and LG,” said John Shegerian, chairman and CEO of Fresno, California-based ERI, at the press conference. “That we now regularly provide responsible, effective recycling for more than a million New Yorkers’ electronic waste is a huge accomplishment. As someone who was born and raised in New York City, it’s a humbling and rewarding experience to be able to help so many in our city do the right thing and collect and responsibly recycle their e-waste.”

Also in attendance at the press event were Angela Pinsky from the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), Lenore Friedlaender from the 32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and District 2 Council Member Rosie Mendez.

Saying the average American household owns 28 electronic devices and 55 percent of households in New York City have no private vehicle to help them haul and discard their e-scrap, Shegerian said there is clearly a need for such a program.

“New York City can now be held up as a workable model for how such partnerships can lead to tremendous results, ultimately making the world a much better place,” he commented.

As part of the program, New York City area buildings with at least 10 units can receive on-site pickup of stored electronics, including TVs, monitors, computers, laptops, small servers, printers and scanners, tablets and e-readers, mobile phones, MP3 players, VCRs, DVRs and DVD players, video game consoles, cable and satellite boxes, fax machines, keyboards, mice and hard drives.