Starting in the new year, 20 million New York State residents will not be allowed to throw away old electronics, according to Popular Science. Unwanted TVs, MP3 players, and printers must be dropped off at designated locations. If the items are left on the curb for sanitation workers, the discarding party will face a $100 fine.
Sounds like a hassle: dragging a TV or lugging a box of old cellphones and stereo bits, but recycling helps keep toxic waste from ending up in the landfills.
So, when you drop off your old electronics, what happens to them?
First, your item is checked to see if it can be fixed and reused. "You would be surprised what people bring us," said Christine Datz-Romero, the executive director of Lower East Side Ecology Center, according to Popular Science.
Watch the video to see what happens to the unsalvagable pieces.
