Assemblymember Gabryszak Does His Part to Keep Environment Green | Environment

Hosting E-waste Event

Every time we walk into the electronics department of a department store or turn on the TV, it seems we learn about new smart phones, computers and other technology to make our lives easier, inevitably trumping our current cell phone or laser printer. Buying a new flat screen television or the latest Blu-ray player can make our home entertainment experience better, but what do we do with our old television, DVD player or other unwanted electronics? Where do we send our no-longer wanted electronics? I have an answer: recycle them. Next month, Erie County Legislator Terrance McCracken will be joining me as we host a free e-waste recycling event with Sunnking Electronics, which will be on hand to collect your unwanted household electronics.

These items must be properly disposed of so their hazardous leftovers do not find their way into our food and water supplies. E-waste includes: televisions, computers, computer parts, monitors, electronic keyboards, mice, scanners, small-scale servers and printers (those intended for use with a computer and weighing less than 100 lbs.). E-waste also includes smaller electronic equipment such as VCRs, DVRs, DVD players, cable or satellite receivers and electronic or video-game consoles. Even the most common, simple-seeming devices like televisions and computer circuit boards can contain toxic substances such as lead. Cadmium, nickel, zinc and brominated flame-retardant materials, which are all found in common electronic devices, can also pose dangers to our health and the environment.

In 2010, I supported the Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act, which makes getting rid of unwanted electronic equipment easier and safer than ever before (Ch. 99 of 2010). The act consists of three stages, two of which have already gone into effect. Beginning in April 2011, manufacturers are required to set up a free and convenient system for the collection, handling and recycling or reuse of certain e-waste. Businesses and municipalities are no longer allowed to dispose of e-waste in landfills, and starting Jan. 1, 2015, individuals and households will have to adhere to the same disposal rules.

The steps in this law make it clear: Filling our landfills with old, toxic electronics is dangerous and no longer an option. I am committed to keeping Western New York and the rest of the state as green as it can be because our health and the sustainability of our environment must be protected.

Please join us and help us in our ongoing effort to properly dispose of unwanted electronics on Saturday, Aug. 11 at the Depew High School parking lot:

Where: Depew High School Parking Lot,

 5201 S. Transit Road, Depew, NY 140433

When: Saturday, Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, feel free to visit (www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/65583.html), the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s website. You can also contact my office at 716-686-0080 concerning this or any other important community issue.