Why Recycle Electronics?
The Electronics Pile-Up
If you have an obsolete computer or two in your basement, you're not alone. Nearly 2 million tons of used electronics, including computers and televisions, are discarded each year. An estimated 128 million cell phones are retired from use annually.
With an ample supply of newer, faster electronic products on the market, Americans continually replace older models. This trend shows no signs of slowing. As a result, electronics have become one of the fastest growing “waste streams” or portions of our trash.
Benefits of Electronics Recycling
There are many good reasons to recycle or reuse old electronics, instead of sending them to landfills.
Conserves natural resources - Valuable material can be recovered from old electronics, and these materials can be used to make new products. For example, precious metals are used in computer circuit boards and other electronic components, and of course glass and plastics are used for TV and computer monitors. Recycling these products reduces the need to mine the earth for new raw materials.
Supports the community- Donating your old electronics supports schools, low-income families, and non-profit agencies by providing them with refurbished computers, cell phones, and other electronics. Individuals are helped by being able to access technology that they could not otherwise afford. Check with these groups first to make sure your equipment meets their needs.
Creates jobs locally – As demand for electronics recycling grows, new businesses will be forming and existing companies will be looking to hire more people to staff their facilities to recover recyclable materials (more than 90% of electronic equipment is recyclable!).
Protect Public Health and the Environment
Most electronics contain hazardous or toxic materials which can cause an environmental problem if discarded in the trash. Safely recycling and reusing electronics helps keep substances like lead and mercury from harming people or the environment.
Examples:- Computer monitors and televisions are hazardous because they contain significant amounts of lead (an average of four pounds of lead each).
- Printed circuit boards contain hazardous metals such as lead, chromium, cadmium and mercury, with significant variation depending on the board.
- Batteries in electronic and electrical products may contain lead, mercury and cadmium.
- Mercury-containing components like switches and relays are found in some electronic and electrical products, including the popular flat screen monitors.
- PCBs may be found in televisions and computers made before the early 1980s.
Click here for information about the health hazards of these toxic materials.
Where Do All the Old Computers and TVs Go?
What happens to your old monitor or keyboard once you've dropped it off for recycling? Sometimes, computer components will be reused by a charity or school. However, more than 90% of the products will end up being recycled. The different parts of the computer or television are used in many different ways:- Most domestically processed glass CRTs (cathode ray tubes) are sent to a smelter where the lead is recovered and the glass recycled.
- The plastic housing is ground to smaller pieces and recycled for use in various items such as retaining blocks and pothole mix.
- Circuit boards, chips, and other parts can be reused to repair or upgrade older electronics or recycled for their scrap value.
- Metal components will be separated and sold for their scrap value.
Tips to Prevent and Reduce Waste
Besides recycling, there are many other things you can do to reduce electronics waste.- Lease computer equipment. An advantage of leasing it that when it's time to upgrade to a newer product, the old unit is returned to the vendor, often for a credit toward a future purchase.
- Avoid “gadgets.” Electronic versions of traditional household appliances and tools may not actually be an improvement, may be more costly, and may wear out faster.
- Buy quality products. When shopping for electronic and electrical items, review the product's repair history and consumer reliability ratings.
- Repair instead of replace. Repairing an electronic or electrical item may be cheaper than replacing it. Use some of the parts of an old system to build a new system.
- Buy upgradeable gear. Some products can be upgraded by replacing a single component instead of the entire unit. This saves money and reduces waste.
Donate, But Don't Overwhelm
Donating your old computer to a school or charity can be a good option, but it is important to understand that obsolete equipment frequently becomes a burden for the charity. If the organization cannot easily use or upgrade your equipment, they then have to find a safe way to dispose of it. Always call first to make sure they can use your equipment.
