New York state has made $3 million in Environmental Protection Fund in grants available to assist municipalities with recent, unexpected costs of collection and recycling of eligible electronic wastes.
State consumers are required to recycle electronic waste, such as computers, keyboards, televisions, and small electronic equipment, in an environmentally responsible manner. These grants, part of the 2017 state budget’s $300 million investment in the Environmental Protection Fund, will mitigate the growing unexpected financial costs so that municipalities can recycle electronic waste efficiently and sustainably.
“New York state is a leader in protecting the environment and promoting sustainability, and the responsible recycling of electronic waste is an essential component of these efforts,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “This funding will provide resources across the state to ensure cleaner communities for all.”
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said the EPF funding will provide municipalities the support and flexibility they need to address e-waste.
State Sen. Tom O’Mara, chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, said the action to strengthen the Environmental Protection Fund “is one of the most important actions we’ve ever taken in New York government for the benefit of local economies, environments and taxpayers. Here’s another example of why. The recycling of electronic waste has become extremely burdensome and costly for local governments and property taxpayers.
“This new funding will help reduce this burden immediately and we need to keep working to address this challenge on a long-term basis through regulatory reform.”
Stephen J. Acquario, Executive Director of the New York State Association of Counties, said, “Local governments and their taxpayers have been picking up the cost of disposal for electronic waste. This is not the intent of the present law. I commend Gov. Cuomo for dedicating state resources to help ease the burden on local taxpayers and encourage all parties to implement an improved disposal system in New York state.”
The grant program will be administered through the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Household Hazardous Waste State Assistance Program. Municipalities will be eligible for reimbursement of up to 50 percent of eligible expenses incurred for collection and recycling of e-waste between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017.
Application materials, guidance documents, and important information for Electronic Waste Assistance Grants are available on the DEC website. DEC will accept applications for funding from Oct. 3 to Oct. 31.
All state consumers must recycle e-waste, such as computers, computer peripherals, televisions, small scale servers, and small electronic equipment. State officials said the 2010 Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act has resulted in diversion of more than 400 million pounds of e-waste from landfills to reuse and recycling between 2011 and 2015.
The amount of e-waste generated continues to grow, adding to the complexities of the collection process and creating unanticipated financial pressures on local governments that collect e-waste, officials said.
For questions about E-Waste Assistance Grants, email RecyclingGrants@dec.ny.gov or contact the Department of Environmental Conservation at 402-8678.