After having to postpone their October electronics waste recycling event at Forest Park in Woodhaven due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in central Queens, state Senator Joseph Addabbo, Assemblyman Mike Miller and Councilman Robert Holden will host the event on Sunday, Nov. 15, in conjunction with the Lower East Side Ecology Center.
The event will be held in the Bandshell Parking Lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Since the suspension of e-waste pickup due to the COVID-19, we have been receiving inquiries from residents saying they have old televisions, computers and other electronics they want to dispose,” Addabbo said. “I am happy that Senator Addabbo and I, and co-sponsor Councilman Robert Holden, are now able to provide this e-waste recycling event for our constituents, and I want to thank Lower East Side Ecology Center for giving their time and providing their services and the Parks Department for their help in coordinating this event at Forest Park.”
Electronics that will be accepted during the event include computers, monitors, printers, TVs, audio equipment, video games, cellphones, batteries, stereo equipment, household materials and paint, and household appliances.
“It’s important to properly recycle old electronics that are no longer in use, but it can be hard for people to find a place to take them,” Holden said. “That’s why I’m proud to partner with my colleagues to bring this service directly to our constituents to make it easy for them to be environmentally friendly.”
In order to keep everyone safe, NYC Parks Department is requiring that all participants wear masks when in the parking lot, especially when interacting with a volunteer. Participants are asked to stay in their vehicles as much as possible, for the safety of the staff and volunteers.
All items should be placed in an accessible area of the vehicle, such as the backseat or trunk, to allow a volunteer to safely remove them and bring them to the proper location. If anyone wishes to leave their car, they must have their temperature taken and fill out a visitor health screening questionnaire indicating if they have any symptoms of COVID-19 or if they have been in close contact with someone who has contracted the virus in the previous 14 days.
They will also have to provide their name, phone number and email address for contact tracing purposes if it is found that anyone with COVID-19 was present at the event.
“I would like to thank Assemblyman Mike Miller for his continued partnership, Councilman Holden for coming aboard and helping to bring this great event to the people, and Lower East Side Ecology Center for being able to help our constituents recycle their unwanted electronics,” Addabbo said. “I hope people come out on Nov. 15 and safely recycle their electronics.”