Where To Recycle Electronics, And Why It’s So Important

With the average American household also home to 24 electronic devices, and with technology evolving at an alarming rate, e-waste is becoming a major problem. Find out six reasons to recycle your electronic devices, and how electronics recycling programs across America have made it easier to find out where to recycle electronics near you.

Did you know that, on average, each American household contains 24 electronic devices and gadgets? And with technology developing at an unprecedented rate and our lust for gadgets and electronics reaching an almost insatiable level, disposing of electronics is becoming a very real environmental problem. So far, 25 American states have enacted legislation which prohibits electronics from being dumped in landfill or thrown away with everyday trash, and other states are expected to follow suit. This leads many people wondering where to recycle electronics.

Electronics recycling programs across the United States have grown as a result of the demand for new products and the resulting pressure this has placed on the environment, making it easier to find out where to recycle electronics near your home or workplace.

6 Reasons to Recycle Your Electronic Gadgets

In case you’re not convinced that electronics recycling is in your – and the planet’s – best interest, read on for six reasons to find out where to recycle electronics near you.

For every one million laptops that are recycled, the energy equivalent of the electricity consumption of 3,500 American homes is saved.
With electronics components being made up of over 1,000 different materials, many of which are valuable, recycling cell phones allows for these materials to be recovered and reused. For example, every one million cell phones recycled, 75 pounds of gold, 772 pounds of silver, 33 pounds of palladium, and an enormous 35 thousand pounds of copper can be recovered. On an annual basis, Americans are estimated to throw away $60 million in silver and gold alone.
To manufacture one desktop computer and accompanying monitor, 1.5 tons of water, 48 pounds of chemicals, and an astonishing 530 pounds of fossil fuel are expended. When you dispose of old computers by recycling rather than adding to the e-waste already sitting in landfill, you can drastically reduce the environmental effects of the production of new electronic equipment.
On a global basis, 41.8 million tons of e-waste was created in 2014 alone. With the growth of e-waste estimated to be at least 4-5 percent annually, the global e-waste estimate for 2018 is predicted to be almost 50 million tons.
While computers and other electronics make up only 2 percent of all trash in landfills across the United States, e-waste accounts for 70 percent of America’s overall toxic waste.
While electronic items contain an enormous amount of toxic materials, the high levels of lead alone can conceivably cause damage to the kidneys, circulatory system, and central and peripheral nervous systems in humans.

Where to Recycle Electronics, Including Cell Phones, Computers, And Televisions

All Green Recycling offers a comprehensive, America-wide certified electronics recycling program. Compliance with all applicable laws and regulations is a priority, as is protecting the confidentiality of the data contained on your electronic devices. All Green Recycling is proud to operate more vehicles than any other recycling service in North America and can arrange to collect your unwanted electronic items from your premises at a time that suits you. Simply contact All Green Recycling today to arrange a pickup or to find out more.

In addition, several large-scale retailers and manufacturers offer limited recycling services where some electronic items can be dropped off in-store, or posted by mail.

In-Store or Mail-In Cell Phone Recycling

Stores that offer limited cell phone recycling options include:

Best Buy
Staples
Dell
LG
Samsung
Sprint

In-Store Computer Recycling

Stores and manufacturers that offer limited computer recycling programs include:

Best Buy
Staples
Dell
VIZIO
Samsung
Sony

In-Store Television Recycling

Stores and manufacturers that offer limited television recycling programs include:

Best Buy
LG
VIZIO
Samsung
Sony

Wait! Before You Send Your Electronics for Recycling…

If you opt for an in-store or mail-in recycling option with a large retailer or manufacturer, or any other type of recycling or repurposing program for your unwanted electronic items, consider the safety of your data first.

Computers and other electronic items are home to an enormous amount of data which, in the wrong hands, could leave an individual open to identity theft, or leave a corporation liable under mandatory data security laws.

Choosing certified electronics recycling from All Green Recycling completely alleviates this risk, as data shredding is always included in electronics recycling services.

If you choose to make use of an in-store or mail-in recycling option, ensure that you have removed all data from your device first. Deleting data or performing a factory reset is insufficient, as data can still easily be recovered by a hacker with minimal knowledge and free software. For complete security, removable media and computer and laptop hard drives must be removed and shredded before the remaining computer components can safely be recycled.

To find out more, contact All Green Recycling today.