ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New Yorkers can now recycle their junked TVs, computers and other defunct electronic gadgets at no charge, under the state's new electronic waste law.
The law, effective April 1, requires manufacturers to take back their products for recycling when customers are done with them. Manufacturers get to decide whether to accept the take-backs through stores, collection events, or mail-back programs.
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, which oversees the law, a manufacturer must take back any piece of electronic equipment, no matter who made it, when a customer buys a new product. The returned product must be recycled or reused, not disposed of in a landfill or hazardous waste site.
The law prohibits individuals from throwing electronics in the trash as of Jan. 1, 2015.