Due to new recycling regulations going into effect, regional electronics recycler Sunnking could be holding some of its last free e-Recycling Events ever.
“We’re going to open up hundreds more drop-off locations that are nearby to you and make those free, but in turn, like I mentioned you’ll probably have to look at how many of these large-scale events are in our future,” said Robert Burns, Sunnking's Marketing Director.
To help residents adjust to the changes, Sunnking announced all drop-offs at their partner sites FREE starting 11/1. Residents can use their zip code to search for a local location at sunnking.com/dropoff.
Starting in January 2023, the New York State Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act requires manufacturers to provide free and convenient recycling of electronic waste to consumers across the state. Before these regulations were passed, some businesses charged people for recycling anything electronic.
Sunnking told reporters they have not committed to continuing large-scale events in 2023.
“The new regulations state that nobody can pay anything for electronics recycling, not consumers, not sites; the manufacturer has to take and pay the full boat of true electronics recycling,” said Sunnking President Adam Shine. “We’re excited to make more sites available for free, but with access to a more significant number of drop-off locations, is there still going to be a need for large-scale collection events like we’ve done in the past? We’re going to have to see the reaction.”
Residents can use their zip code to search for a FREE Sunnking drop-off site in their area.
These new regulations come as an update and a clarification of the original law passed in 2010, according to Kira Kidalowski an Environmental Program Specialist with the DEC.
“Manufacturers while they were prohibited from directly charging consumers… what was happening was the recyclers that the manufacturer was using were charging municipalities and collection sites and in turn, those collection sites were charging consumers so it wasn’t enough being as free, and convenient as it was supposed to be,” Kidalowski said.
