Over the course of six years, more than 260,000 tons of e-waste has been collected by and recycled under the State Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act.
That amounts to more than 520 million pounds from 2011 through 2016, a press release from the State Department of Environmental Conservation said.
And now, the state has made $3 million in grant funding available from its Environmental Protection Fund to help municipalities address the unintended costs associated with the collection and recycling of eligible e-waste.
Electronic waste includes such equipment as computers, printers, monitors, televisions and tablets.
“Over the first six years of the program, New York state has successfully diverted hundreds of millions of pounds of e-waste destined for landfills and combustion facilities to e-waste recyclers for reuse and recycling, helping conserve valuable natural resources,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in the release.
STRENGTHS
The accomplishment was highlighted in DEC’s second Electronic Waste Recycling Report, which documents e-waste recycling from 2013 to 2015 and outlines the strengths and challenges of the state’s e-waste recycling program.
It is intended, in part, to help DEC improve the state’s e-waste recycling program.
This second report on the program builds on data in the initial one and includes information on:
• Overall collection results.
• Collection methods.
• Recycling and reuse rates.
• Stakeholder participation.
• Fees and surcharges.
• DEC’s compliance and enforcement efforts.
The report also notes continued opportunities for business development, DEC said, as a number of enterprises have been begun or expanded as a result of the recycling/reuse of e-waste.
CHALLENGES
From 2013 through 2015, electronic-equipment manufacturers, consumers and the state’s collection and recycling network diverted nearly 300 million pounds from the waste stream, which translates to a statewide collection rate averaging just over 5 pounds per capita, DEC said “The agency continues its efforts to address challenges associated with e-waste collection and recycling, particularly Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions and monitors, by working with municipalities, industry representatives, recyclers, and others to improve CRT collection and recycling,” the release said.
“In addition, while striving for overall stakeholder compliance, DEC is working to improve manufacturers’ e-waste acceptance programs and continues public education and outreach, as well as enforcement, to ensure manufacturers are in compliance with the act’s requirements.”
FINAL GRANTS
The deadline to apply for a share of the $3 million in grant funding is Jan. 31, 2018. This is the final funding opportunity, DEC said, covering expenses incurred between April 1 and Dec. 31, 2017.
To read the full story, visit http://www.pressrepublican.com/news/local_news/nys-offers-m-in-grants-for-e-waste-costs/article_a7c6b489-db26-52dd-9e3c-1942528a6d82.html.