Today, it’s more important than ever to find ways to protect our environment. That’s why I’m once again hosting an electronics recycling event, making it even easier for Central New York residents to properly dispose of old and unwanted electronic devices, like computers and televisions.

The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Center of Progress Building, New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse. Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli and Sunnking Electronics are co-sponsoring the event with me, and volunteers from Liverpool High School will be helping out.

All you have to do is load your electronics into your vehicle and drive onto the fairgrounds, entering at Gate 6. Still in your vehicle, you will be directed to the Center of Progress building where volunteers will unload your electronics. You don’t even have to get out of your car.

Recycling electronics is important. Each year, Americans produce more than 400 million units of electronic waste, yet only about 13 percent of that e-waste is safely recycled.^[1],[2][1],[2] These devices often contain harmful chemicals that, if not properly handled, can damage the environment and threaten the safety and well-being of our families. By recycling them, we can prevent millions of pounds of hazardous waste from entering landfalls and incinerators.

During last year’s e-recycling event, we collected nearly 223,000 pounds of electronic waste and, with your help, I hope to surpass that this year.

Acceptable materials for the event include computers and accessories, such as printers or gaming devices; mobile devices like cellphones, tablets, GPS devices and MP3 players; office equipment, such as copiers and fax machines; home entertainment equipment like TVs, sound systems and digital receivers; small and medium-sized home appliances; and cable boxes.

Certain items, such as large appliances, devices containing mercury, Freon or PCB, gas-powered equipment, CDs and DVDs, smoke detectors and batteries won’t be accepted. For more information about acceptable materials, please visit the Sunnking Electronics Web site.

I hope you can join me at this important event so we can do our part to protect our environment and safeguard our futures. If we all pitch in, we can ensure our communities remain safe and clean for generations to come. Proceeds raised will go to Liverpool Athletics

If you have questions or concerns about this event or any other community issue, please contact my office at 315-452-1115 or at StirpeA@nyassembly.gov.

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