New York City council overrides e-waste bill veto by mayor

New York City council, in May, overrode Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s veto of a bill that mandated performance standards on manufacturers for electronic scrap recovery.

At issue is legislation that would require electronics manufacturers to recycle a set amount of their New York City waste or face fines. If the law takes effect, starting in 2012 the manufacturers would have to recycle 25% of their products sold in the city or pay $50,000 for every percentage point they miss the target.

Previously, the mayor vetoed the council’s bill and signed a separate piece of legislation enacting portions of the council’s electronics recycling program, though the law stops short of imposing fines.