After New York City cut funding for Staten Island’s curbside e-scrap program, local officials are working to fill the gaps. | Roman Babakin/Shutterstock
Curbside e-scrap pickup is back for some Staten Island residents after two council members forged a partnership with Where-to-Turn.
The Staten Island electronics, batteries and textiles pick-up program started in 2016, was paused during the pandemic, and then suspended on Oct. 27 by New York City Mayor Eric Adams as part of wider budget cuts.
Councilmembers David Carr and Joseph Borelli partnered with Where-to-Turn, a Charleston-based community support organization, to provide e-scrap collection to Staten Island residents who face barriers in getting to a Department of Sanitation disposal site, according to local media reports.
Carr told SILive.com that the loss of the curbside program “not only affects vulnerable populations, but also encourages illegal dumping, so we wanted to do everything we can to take away any excuse someone might have to do so.”
Borelli added that cutting the program is “the definition of ‘penny wise and pound foolish'” as it “provides a valuable service to residents, removes harmful and toxic materials from our waste stream and costs about one-thousandth of one percent of the city’s budget.”
The partnership will “continue to provide this important program for seniors and people with disabilities on Staten Island while we fight to fully restore it in the budget,” Borelli said.