Guide to Safely Disposing of Old Electronics and E Waste

How to Recycle Old Electronics

We love our devicesour TVs, laptops, tablets, and perhaps most of all, our mobile phones, those pocket-sized miracles of computing power. In fact, Gartner, a tech research company, estimates that more than 1.5 billion cell phones will ship in 2021. Thats around 1 for every 5 people alive.

But unless they're traded in for a new device, each of those gadgets eventually reaches the end of its useful life and becomes electronic waste. And that's a problem. A United Nations study reported that 53.6 million tons of e-waste was discarded in 2019, and only 17.4 percent of it was disposed of properly.

5 Ways to Safely Dispose Of Your Electronic Waste

New technology always brings new products and gadgets from time to time. So what do you end up doing with your old gadgets?

Where Does Your Electronic Waste Go?

All electronic waste is made up of deadly chemicals such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury and brominated flame retardants. Disposing of gadgets and devices improperly increases the chances of these dangerous chemicals contaminating the soil, polluting the air and leaching into water bodies.

When e-waste is deposited in a landfill, it tends to leach when water passes through it picking up trace elements. After which the contaminated landfill water reaches natural groundwater with increased toxic levels, this can be harmful if it enters any drinking water bodies.

Despite having an eco-friendly approach, recycling usually leads to overseas shipping and dumping the gadgets which are buried in pits. Worse still is the fact that some recycling companies ship e-waste to third world countries and disguise it as philanthropy.

A lot of children in such countries earn their livelihoods by scavenging gold, silver, iron, and copper from the tech waste which is harmful to their health. Countries that are used as dumping grounds usually have high rates of cybercrime as the salvaged hard drives can give criminals direct access to your personal files and information.

Here are some are some eco-friendly waste disposal techniques that you can use to dispose of electronic waste locally:

5. Give Your Electronic Waste to a Certified E-Waste Recycler

The positive aspect of e-waste recycling is that you have quite a few recycling options.

You need to find an e-waste recycler who is officially certified by the Basel Action Network (BAN). BAN is a non-profit organization of recycling companies which are dedicated to recycling e-waste in a safe and responsible way. All members have to make a pledge and display their Pledges of Responsible Recycling. So working alongside a certified recycler means that you dont have to worry about polluting another nation or risk losing your personal details to criminals.

Precautions to Take Before Donating or Recycling Your Electronics

• Upgrade your computer instead of simply replacing it
• Format all your personal information from your products before discarding
• Take out the batteries from your gadgets before getting rid of them

4. Sell Off Your Outdated Technology

One mans junk is another mans treasure as the old saying goes. This can be applied to helping you get rid of your old electronics. You can tap into online sites like craigslist, eBay or even resort to having a garage sale as this will help you get rid of your outdated electronics as well as earning some money. Examples of this are old Nintendo video games which can sell for as high as $40 a piece. Most electronic shops are always ready to buy your old electronics.

3. Donating Your Outdated Technology

Old gadgets that you no longer need can be donated as they may be useful to others. Your old computer may be useful to either an NGO or students. You should ask yourself these 2 questions before disposing of your old electronics:

• Is the electronic item working?
• Does the computer have any of your personal information?

A lot of organizations and businesses offer electronic donation programs which you can choose from.

2. Visit Civic Institutions

Enquire amongst your government, universities, and schools for any recycling programs they run as a lot of organizations have started assigning a certain day and place for environmentally conscious citizens to come and drop off their e-waste.

1. Give Back to Your Electronic Companies and Drop Off Points

A lot of electronic companies tend to have an exchange policy whereby they take back your old gadgets when you buy a later version, sometimes offering you a discount on your new purchase.

A few recycling companies have set up electronic drop off initiatives along with drop off points for products such as cell phones and tablets after which they are recycled. You can ask your local electronics shops regarding any information about drop off locations.

Safeguard Both the Environment and Your Sensitive Information

Electronics are an important part of our lives today but the flipside is the e-waste that comes along with it. So make sure to format your electronic devices before disposing of them in a proper manner as the consequences of not doing so can be painful.

Author Bio

Erich Lawson is passionate about saving environment by effective recycling. He has written a wide array of articles on how modern recycling equipments can be used by industries to reduce monthly garbage bills and increase recycling revenue. You can learn more about environment savings techniques by visiting Northern California Compactors, Inc blog

Also, checkwhat are the responsibilities of producers under E-waste handling rules 2011?

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Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)

EPA considers some leftover household products that can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances, or that are corrosive or toxic as household hazardous waste. Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides can contain hazardous ingredients and require special care when you dispose of them.

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Safe Management of HHW

To avoid the potential risks associated with household hazardous wastes, it is important that people always monitor the use, storage, and disposal of products with potentially hazardous substances in their homes. Improper disposal of HHW can include pouring them down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or in some cases putting them out with the regular trash.

The dangers of such disposal methods might not be immediately obvious, but improper disposal of these wastes can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health. Certain types of HHW have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers, contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets. They can also present hazards to children and pets if left around the house.

Some quick tips for the safe handling of household hazardous wastes include:

• Follow any instructions for use and storage provided on product labels carefully to prevent any accidents at home.
• Be sure to read product labels for disposal directions to reduce the risk of products exploding, igniting, leaking, mixing with other chemicals, or posing other hazards on the way to a disposal facility.
• Never store hazardous products in food containers; keep them in their original containers and never remove labels. Corroding containers, however, require special handling. Call your local hazardous materials official or fire department for instructions.
• When leftovers remain, never mix HHW with other products. Incompatible products might react, ignite, or explode, and contaminated HHW might become unrecyclable.
• Check with your local environmental, health or solid waste agency for more information on HHW management options in your area.
  • If your community doesnt have a year-round collection system for HHW, see if there are any designated days in your area for collecting HHW at a central location to ensure safe management and disposal.
  • If your community has neither a permanent collection site nor a special collection day, you might be able to drop off certain products at local businesses for recycling or proper disposal. Some local garages, for example, may accept used motor oil for recycling. Check around.
• Remember, even empty containers of HHW can pose hazards because of the residual chemicals that might remain so handle them with care also.
• Follow these instructions for disposal of consumer e-cigarettes.

Reducing HHW in Your Home

Consider reducing your purchase of products that contain hazardous ingredients. Learn about the use of alternative methods or productswithout hazardous ingredientsfor some common household needs. When shopping for items such as multipurpose household cleaners, toilet cleaners, laundry detergent, dish soap, dishwashing machine pods and gels, bug sprays and insect pest control, consider shopping for environmentally friendly, natural products or search online for simple recipes you can use to create your own.

Below are some ideas to get you started. Additional information is available from EPA's Safer Choice program.

Regulating HHW

While most hazardous wastes that are ignitable, reactive, corrosive or toxic in America are regulated under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Congress developed an exclusion for household waste. Under this exclusion, found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 261.4, wastes generated by normal household activities (e.g., routine house and yard maintenance) are excluded from the definition of hazardous waste. Specifically, wastes covered by the household hazardous waste exclusion must satisfy two criteria:

1. The waste must be generated by individuals on the premise of a temporary or permanent residence, and
2. The waste stream must be composed primarily of materials found in wastes generated by consumers in their homes.

EPA interprets this exclusion to include household-like areas, such as bunkhouses, ranger stations, crew quarters, campgrounds, picnic grounds, and day-use recreation areas.

Although household hazardous waste is excluded from Subtitle C of RCRA, it is regulated under Subtitle D of this law as a solid waste. In other words, household hazardous waste is regulated on the state and local level.

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Electronics Donation and Recycling

Electronics donation and recycling is a great way to help conserve resources and natural materials. It is important to make sure you are donating and/or recycling electronics safely and correctly.

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Why Donate or Recycle Electronics?

Electronic products are made from valuable resources and materials, including metals, plastics, and glass, all of which require energy to mine and manufacture. Donating or recycling consumer electronics conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing virgin materials.

In 2006, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that:

• Recycling one million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by more than 3,500 U.S. homes in a year.
• For every million cell phones we recycle, 35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.

Read more in USGS's publication Recycled Cell PhonesA Treasure Trove of Valuable Metals (pdf).

Before Donating or Recycling Your Used Electronics

• For your computer or laptop, consider upgrading the hardware or software instead of buying a brand new product.
• Delete all personal information from your electronics.
• Remove any batteries from your electronics, they may need to be recycled separately.
• Check for recycling facilities in your state or community.

Where to Donate or Recycle

Manufacturers and retailers offer several options to donate or recycle electronics. You can search for options on the following organizations' websites:

Disclaimer: These sites are listed for informational purposes only. U.S. EPA does not endorse any of these entities nor their services.

How to Recycle Electronics the Right Way, No Matter Where You Are

Electronic waste (also called e-waste) is a huge problem. In 2021, Bloomberg reported that an estimated 74 million tons of e-waste a year will be produced worldwide by 2030. Instead of perpetuating this crisis, it's more important than ever that we become aware of how to recycle electronics.

Although e-waste is a catch-all term for used electronics that are landfilled or improperly discarded, there is also "inherent value of these materials that can be reused, refurbished, or recycled to minimize the actual waste," according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Meaning, for every old tech gadget that goes in the garbage, heavy metals and chemical components from those devices (and their batteries) that could be repurposed elsewhere are wasted, threatening human health and the environment by potentially leaching into the soil and water.

Its up to each of us to repurpose, responsibly recycle, or safely dispose of our old electronics. If correctly processed, the metals and materials that comprise these gadgets can be reintegrated into new products, even making their way into innovative new uses like clothing insulation.

Because electronics have to be recycled in a specific way (i.e., not thrown into your recycling bin with your papers, plastics, and metal cans), this process can seem daunting if you're not aware of your state regulations. However, once you know how to recycle electronics or where you can drop them off for proper disposal, it's easier to repeat this moving forward.

Read on to learn more about how to recycle electronics, so your old smartphones, laptops, and kitchen gadgets can be helpful not hurtful to the environment.

The first step to understanding how to recycle electronics is to assess all of the stuff that you want to get rid of. If your old electronics are still in working condition, the best and eco-friendliest option is to give the item a second life by donating it. (If it doesn't work, more on that later.)

For example, Free Geek, based in Portland, Oregon, is a nonprofit organization that accepts various kinds of unwanted electronics, refurbishes them, and finds them new homes around the local community. Students, young adults, and others who cant afford or dont have access to updated technology often receive low- or no-cost gear from this organization. You may be able to find a similar organization in your area by searching online.

Another option is to try to donate your working gadget or appliance to a nationwide organization like Goodwill. However, its critical to know which items they will and wont accept to reduce the strain on the organization to dispose of it.

If your unwanted electronics and tech are broken, worn out, or drained of their battery power, your next option is seek out how best to recycle them.

Currently, only 25 states (and the District of Columbia) have e-waste laws, and if your state is one of them, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with them and check whether your state sponsors safe electronics disposal events. The Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC) alsoo provides an interactive map that lets you see at a glance all of the specific state laws around electronics recycling.

In addition, you can check out these organizations that'll either take your items or direct you to a responsible disposal site near you:

• Call2Recycle: If you have batteries to get rid of, this is where to go. Call2Recycle is a national organization with a comprehensive national battery recycling program. Through their site, you can easily find a nearby location that will take most kinds of batteries. There are also mail-in options for those unable to get to a drop-off location.
• Ridwell: This growing curbside service takes batteries, light bulbs, and a number of other hard-to-recycle products right from a box at your front door for a monthly subscription fee.

Lithium-ion batteries, which can be both removable or embedded into electronics, are frequently in the news for causing home fires. This is because any impact or damage to these devices can cause a reaction called thermal runaway in which they overheat and combust. Unfortunately, manufacturers don't always make it easy for consumers to dispose of these types of batteries and devices properly.

With so many different types of batteries powering nearly every manner of device, its unreasonable to expect consumers to be battery sorters, says Call2Recycle VP of Operations Eric Frederickson. For example, lithium AAs and alkaline AAs look very similar shape, size, etc. but one legally can go in the garbage, and the other, if it goes into the garbage, could potentially cause a fire and put people and property at risk. Also, if consumers attempt to remove lithium-ion batteries from devices that theyre embedded in, they can damage the batteries and make them more dangerous than if they were left in the device.

Interior of a phones lithium-ion battery.

For those who have undamaged lithium-ion batteries that they're preparing to recycle, know that it's unsafe to drop them off in a pile or leave them unmarked for your disposal site to deal with. Frederickson encourages taking these steps to help minimize risks:

• Option A: Bag each battery in its own clear plastic bag before placing it in a storage container.
• Option B: Tape the positive terminal with clear packing tape, nonconductive electrical tape or duct tape, keeping labels visible.

The good news is, there are several national retailers that'll take your old electronics and batteries off your hands to recycle them for you. The items that a specific store accepts may vary, so its best to call ahead before heading to your local retailer.

The following stores have electronics recycling and trade-in programs:

Amazon: The online megastore has electronics recycling and trade-in options available and also partners with Call2Recycle for battery recycling.

Apple: The brand's trade-in/recycling program is very straightforward. Most of the process can be done online, and you may not even need to visit a store. (Microsoft has similar options for its devices.)

Batteries Plus: They will take several hard-to-recycle products, such as specific batteries and lights all you have to do is drop them off.

Best Buy: The electronics retailer accepts a wide range of products, including certain TVs, curling irons, and more. They can be strict about what they accept, so check with your local retailer about the items you want to donate.

Lowes: They will take certain batteries and lights, but it varies by store.

Staples: The office-supplies store will accept many of the electronics they carry, including hard drives, paper shredders, and desktop computers. Just note that Staples does not accept alkaline batteries.

The Home Depot: Here, you can recycle rechargeable batteries and certain light bulbs. This retailer will also accept certain plastic plant pots.

Geoff is a lifestyle journalist & copywriter focused on helping brands make the world a better place through compelling copy. Hes a regular contributor at several outlets, including Barrons, InsideHook, AskMen and several Hearst titles. You can check out more of his work at geoffnudelman.com.