E-waste deal could net Smithtown $7,500

Smithtown hopes to add more than $7,000 to town coffers from a new electronic waste recycling contract that takes effect Thursday.

The town board last week approved a two-year contract with eRevival LLC, of Garfield, N.J., which will collect and destroy items such as telephones, cellphones, computers, stereos and televisions. The New Jersey company replaces eScrap Destruction of Islandia, which had provided those services for the past four years.

Under the new deal, eRevival will pay Smithtown 7.8 cents for each pound of waste that the company takes away, town environmental protection director Russell Barnett said. He estimated the town could make $7,500 this year.

Under the previous deal with eScrap, Smithtown initially paid 4 cents a pound to have the waste taken away, Barnett said. Last year, eScrap picked up the trash for free but the town did not earn income, he said.

"Now it's become a small revenue generator for the town," he said. "It used to cost us like $10,000 a year . . . Now it's going to be a positive rather than a negative."

Smithtown residents can drop off electronic devices for no charge at the town's Municipal Services Building (85 Old Northport Rd., Kings Park). Town workers provide curbside pickup of computer towers and monitors; call 631-269-4548 to schedule a pickup.