E-Waste Recycling Comes to Union Square

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For those looking to get rid of old computers, cell phones or other electronic devices in a responsible way, Union Square was the place to be Sunday.

The E-Waste Recycling Day is part of an ongoing effort by the Lower East Side Ecology Center to keep electronic waste from building up in landfills.

New Yorkers were able to drop off unwanted or broken televisions, iPods or other gadgets that tend to build up in the weeks following the holidays.

"I dropped a TV set that we don't watch and a cell phone that doesn't work and we're glad to have the stuff out of the house," said one city resident.

"It's a good way to feel a little bit better when you're getting rid of something. It's not a complete waste. There's a little more benefit to it," said another city resident.

Organizers say about 40 percent of toxins found in landfills are from electronic devices that were improperly thrown away.

"A lot of the really toxic stuff that winds up in landfills like lead and cadium, comes from electronic waste so it's really important to separate that out so it doesn't get into our water supply and our soil," said Lower East Side Ecology Center volunteer Bob Hilliard.

Since starting the drives in 2003, the Lower East Side Ecology Center has reclaimed more than 500 tons of discarded electronics.

For those who may have missed Sunday's event, not to worry. The center says it will be holding four more E-Waste programs this month at several locations around the city.

For more information on the locations and times as well as a list of accepted items, visit LESEcologyCenter.org.