In 2015 a new e-waste ban will go into effect in New York which is going to change the way how people in NY get rid of their old gadgets. Let me tell you this, it won’t be as easy as chucking out that old TV in the garbage. The e-waste ban is going to make precisely this kind of behavior illegal and residents are liable to be fined $100 per item that they throw away.
New York isn’t the only one that’s going ahead with this law. Already in 20 states there exist landfill or disposal bans for electronic products, basically anything with a circuit board inside it, when such a device reaches the end of its life it needs to be properly disposed off.
So how do people in New York get rid of their electronic devices if they can’t just throw them in the garbage? Well there are several alternatives. Many manufacturers run take-back programs so they will accept their own devices. Retailers like Best Buy cater to drop-offs for old electronics, and particularly in New York, these products can be dropped off at the Lower East Side Ecology Center.
Laws like these are only part of the solution though. At least all major retailers should offer take-back programs, Target doesn’t, and even the manufacturers should make it more easier for their customers to send back the products once they’re off no use.
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