Got an old
television set to get rid of? A computer you don’t want anymore? The Village of
Valley Stream will now be accepting these items free under a new electronic
waste recycling agreement it signed last week.
Under Department of Environmental Conservation regulations that went into effect last year, the village could no longer dispose of these items through its regular trash. These items are not supposed to be crushed because they may contain mercury, lead and arsenic, among other dangerous chemicals. Electronic waste now has to be separated and hauled away by the village’s refuse contractor, Jamaica Ash. It was also costing residents money.
Sanitation Department Supervisor Wayne Mastrangelo said that Jamaica Ash was charging the village $7.50 for every item of electronic waste, including televisions, computers, video game consoles and more. That cost was then passed on to the residents, who had to pay for each item the Sanitation Department took for them. Mastrangelo said if someone wanted to get rid of an entire computer — with a central processing unit, monitor, keyboard, mouse and printer — it would cost them upwards of $40. “They weren’t happy,” Mastrangelo said. “We didn’t want to charge the residents.”
However, he said that there were few other options for people to legally dispose of their electronic waste. The Town of Hempstead runs about a half-dozen “E-Cycling” events every year.
“There was really nothing we could do but provide a place for them to bring it, until this program came along,” Mastrangelo said.
The new program is a agreement with We Recycle, a Vermont-based company, which actually pays the village for the electronic waste it collects. Mastrangelo said the cost is nominal — 22 cents per pound for computers and 3 cents per pound for televisions and other electronics. But, it’s a lot better to make a little money, than have to pay money, Mastrangelo said.
Under Department of Environmental Conservation regulations that went into effect last year, the village could no longer dispose of these items through its regular trash. These items are not supposed to be crushed because they may contain mercury, lead and arsenic, among other dangerous chemicals. Electronic waste now has to be separated and hauled away by the village’s refuse contractor, Jamaica Ash. It was also costing residents money.
Sanitation Department Supervisor Wayne Mastrangelo said that Jamaica Ash was charging the village $7.50 for every item of electronic waste, including televisions, computers, video game consoles and more. That cost was then passed on to the residents, who had to pay for each item the Sanitation Department took for them. Mastrangelo said if someone wanted to get rid of an entire computer — with a central processing unit, monitor, keyboard, mouse and printer — it would cost them upwards of $40. “They weren’t happy,” Mastrangelo said. “We didn’t want to charge the residents.”
However, he said that there were few other options for people to legally dispose of their electronic waste. The Town of Hempstead runs about a half-dozen “E-Cycling” events every year.
“There was really nothing we could do but provide a place for them to bring it, until this program came along,” Mastrangelo said.
The new program is a agreement with We Recycle, a Vermont-based company, which actually pays the village for the electronic waste it collects. Mastrangelo said the cost is nominal — 22 cents per pound for computers and 3 cents per pound for televisions and other electronics. But, it’s a lot better to make a little money, than have to pay money, Mastrangelo said.
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