The case was seen as invalid when the city passed a statewide e-waste bill, signed by Governor David Patterson on 28 May.
The law states that the manufacturer is responsible for paying to collect and recycle old electronic products.
According to e-waste supporter Electronics TakeBack Coalition, the judge was scheduled to hear oral arguments from both sides in February. But all parties to the case (the industry, the City of New York, and NRDC – which intervened to become a legal party to the case) agreed to participate in voluntary settlement negotiations.
The settlement negotiations have been deemed productive and substantial enough that the city and the industry have agreed to continue to hold these meetings to build on the progress made so far in planning how to collect e-waste for recycling and reuse in the city.
The law was scheduled to be implemented in July 2009. A week before the deadline for manufacturers to submit recycling plans with the city, their two industry associations filed an injunction against implementation of the city law, claiming that the law was “unconstitutional”.
Senior Attorney for NRDC Kate Sinding said: “We hope (and have every reason to believe) that these good discussions will continue, as the need for meaningful e-waste collection opportunities in NYC will persist, albeit now under the terms of the state law, which becomes effective next April.”
The State legislation, which was strongly supported by environmental groups like NRDC, Clean New York, and NY PIRG, is one of the strongest in the country. It covers a wide range of products for recycling, and covering products from consumers, schools, non-profits, governments and small business. It also requires the manufacturers to meet collection goals and provide convenient collection.