After several large-scale budget cuts, Staten Island residents will no longer have the option to have curbside e-scrap picked up, according to local news reports. New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that the cuts are the result of rising costs of the migrant crisis, slowing tax revenues, and the loss of federal pandemic aid.
Additionally, police, library, and education services were also reduced, and a curbside composting rollout in the Bronx and Staten Island was put on hold.
Staten Island’s electronics and textiles pick-up program has been running since 2016 but was suspended Oct. 27 because of financial constraints, according to the reports. This is not the first time the program has been put on hold, as it was also paused during the pandemic, and many are unhappy with the decision, including Councilman David Carr, who referred to the suspension of the program as “shortsighted and frankly, a slap in the face to my constituents.”
Carr also went on to say, “The eWaste curbside pickup program, which my predecessor started and I fought to fund each year, is not just a convenience. It’s an essential program that helps Islanders – many of whom are poor, elderly, and disabled – to properly dispose of electronics and ensure hazardous materials don’t wind up dumped in our parks or environmentally sensitive areas.”
Though the curbside pick-up service is currently suspended, e-scrap drop-off sites are still available to New York City residents.
IT asset disposition facilities such as HOBI International Inc. collect old, retired, and outdated electronics and ensure that they are properly disposed of in a safe, eco-friendly manner via recycling. ITAD enterprises prioritize the environment and work to reduce the pollution and contamination produced by e-waste that is sent to landfills or incinerators. HOBI specifically focuses on maximizing economic return and mitigating potential environmental liability.
For more information about our ITAD services, call 877-814-2620 or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.