You know that broken iPod you've got sitting around? Those busted flip phones, or that laptop with the hole in the screen?(How on Earth did that get there?) Well they've all got batteries in em and those laptop batteries are no good for mother nature. Thanks to new legislation, signed yesterday by Gov. David Paterson and sponsored by Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh, electronics manufacturers will be required under state law to work with retailers to set up convenient recycling programs for those sorts of batteries. The goal is to keep those toxic batteries out of landfills.
"With the Governor's signature, New York State is making the statement that through extended producer responsibility, manufacturers' accountability does not end once their products are sold," said Krueger in a statement.
"The final approval of this legislation removes the full burden of accountability from the consumer and shifts responsibility to the experts so that these products will be properly disposed of and recycled. I applaud Governor Paterson for taking this important step in helping protect the environment."
"By preventing consumers from throwing these items in the trash and ensuring that retailers and laptop ac adapters suppplier take responsibility for disposing of them properly, we'll keep dangerous substances out of our air and water," said Kavanagh in a statement. "Recycling and reuse are the path to a sustainable economy and a healthy environment, and we're committed to making sure that New York leads the way. I thank Governor David Paterson, Senator Liz Krueger, and Assembly Environmental Committee Chair Bob Sweeney for their critical support in getting this law enacted."
