It may seem like New York's Strongest will take just about anything off your hands, but that changes next year.

"Electronic equipment which often contains lead, mercury and cadmium now makes up the largest and fastest growing component of the hazardous materials entering the waste stream," said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia.

On January 1, it will be illegal to throw out any so-called "e-waste."

That means New Yorkers can no longer put electronic items, from electronic tablets to old computers or video game controllers, on the curb.

You will have to recycle them or pay the price: $100 per violation.

"It does seem to have caught folks by surprise. I've been asked a lot more about snow than e-waste," Garcia told NY1.

It's been a long time coming. A state law dates back to 2010 and lawmakers at the time gave the public about five years to prepare to recycle their electronic wares.

Gadgets that add up to about 27,500 tons every year are tossed out at the curb.

Big Apple restaurants are really "cleaning" up. About 85% of the 23,975 restaurants inspected by the health department received A grades as of Nov. 2, a 20% increase in perfect scores from the months after the program started in 2010, according to data provided to amNewYork by the city. The good grades are spread out among the boroughs, with Midtown West and Hell's Kitchen taking the top honors with 583 A's.

There were only 385 C grades, about 1.6%, but those marks were scattered throughout ZIP codes. The Lower East Side had the highest concentration of C's with 14 in the 10002 ZIP code.

Daniel Kass, the deputy commissioner for environmental health, said the increase in A grades is proof the system works.

"The public wants the best. Restaurants know this and grading has enabled and forced some restaurants to step up their game," said Daniel Kass, the deputy commissioner for environmental health.

By JOHN KOBLINDEC. 17, 2014
 

On a recent Sunday on Howard Street, a well-lit 1,900-square-foot store became a brief sanctuary from the paparazzi. Rihanna swooped into Reformation, grabbed a pile of clothes, retreated to a dressing room and, within minutes, walked out with a new coat and 14 dresses, sweaters and tops. It cost her a little more than $2,000.

This isn't all that uncommon: Rihanna has been to Reformation - there are two stores in New York and one in Los Angeles - before for a quick shopping spree. Taylor Swift shops there. As does the model Karlie Kloss.

"It's funny, I have access to some of the most beautiful clothing in the world, some of the most expensive, elaborate couture pieces, and yet in my daily life I wear Reformation," Ms. Kloss said, when she was buttonholed at a private dinner last month. "It's very simple and it's cut really well."