What Is E-Waste Recycling?

From smartphones to laptops to e-readers, we connect with technology in a multitude of ways every single day. While the digital world has introduced exciting new advancements and conveniences, it’s also created a new challenge: electronic waste, or “e-waste.”

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Here’s a closer look at the environmental implications of e-waste, and how you can take a sustainable approach to managing yours.

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What Is E-Waste?

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E-waste is the umbrella term for all electronic products that are broken, unusable, or otherwise thrown away. On a consumer level, this typically includes devices such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets, but it can also include devices and appliances that don’t connect to the internet, including microwaves, air fryers, and certain toys¹.

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Businesses also have their own sources of e-waste, including both personal computing equipment and large-scale IT devices found in data centers. Essentially, if it requires any form of electricity, it’s likely a form of e-waste.

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The Challenges of E-Waste

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The growing volume of e-waste is presenting challenges for several reasons². First, many devices contain toxic materials, such as lead, barium, phosphor, cadmium, and mercury, among others. When not disposed of properly, these materials can wind up in landfills and leach into the dirt, potentially disrupting ecosystems and polluting the environment.

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Components embedded in electronics are often difficult and time-consuming to retrieve. Devices are made up of different materials—including glass, plastic, and various metals—that can sometimes be retrieved and reused³. But extracting, separating, and processing these components can be costly and complicated, creating barriers to recycling.

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Many communities lack regulations for processing e-waste safely and sustainably. Collectors may expose themselves to potentially dangerous conditions when handling e-waste to break down valuable components within devices. In some parts of the world, electronics are burned to extract materials, but this process can create toxic gases that further contribute to pollution.

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Regulations and processes vary by municipality, so consumers may lack the knowledge and resources needed to handle their end-of-life electronics properly.

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To further complicate matters, technology continues to evolve, fueling the demand for newer, faster, sleeker devices. With the rapid acceleration of tech turnover, it’s no surprise that e-waste has become the fastest-growing stream of waste across the globe, representing 70% of all toxic garbage⁴.

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What Is E-Waste Recycling?

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Fortunately, there are ways to confront the e-waste challenge. As a consumer, your greatest power lies in ensuring your end-of-life devices are handled responsibly, which could mean e-waste recycling.

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Like other recycling methods, e-waste recycling involves the sorting of unwanted devices, followed by the extraction of materials for reuse. In some cases, materials are sold as individual components. In others, they may be combined to build a new device. Whatever components cannot be repurposed are then sent downstream for further processing⁵.

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In this phase, potentially hazardous materials, such as flammable or toxic substances, are removed so that they can’t make their way into landfills. This includes lithium-ion batteries, which carry the possibility of overheating uncontrollably through a process known as thermal runaway.

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After all hazardous materials are removed, the remaining pieces are shredded and separated by a giant magnet. Metal is sorted from plastic, and recycled materials are ultimately sold off.

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Why Is E-Waste Recycling Important?

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Our electronics consumption habits are currently outpacing our recycling efforts. Not only does this contribute to a growing volume of e-waste—only a small portion of which is handled properly—but it’s also leading to the depletion of resources.

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There are other important pieces to this complex puzzle. Manufacturers need to follow sustainable design principles that allow for simpler disassembly and repair, and greater regulatory oversight for electronics manufacturing and recycling can help to reduce e-waste on a global scale.

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For now, however, recycling your electronics plays an important role in preventing pollution, slowing the depletion of natural resources, and shrinking your overall carbon footprint.

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How Can You Recycle Your Electronic Devices?

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There are several avenues you can take to ensure your unwanted electronics are processed properly after you no longer need them¹:

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• One option is donating your electronics to a local charitable organization, which may have them refurbished or reused. Similarly, aftermarket resellers will often purchase and refurbish used devices that still work.
• Some retailers and device manufacturers also offer recycling programs with in-store drop-offs or mail-in programs.
• Your local recycling center may have options or instructions for handling your unwanted electronics.

No matter which avenue you choose, be sure to wipe your device’s hard drive (if it has one) to avoid compromising any of your sensitive personal data.

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At The Rounds, we make e-waste recycling for our Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia customers. Just add the E-Waste Pickup Bag to your next refill, and we’ll retrieve it during the following visit. Place your unwanted electronics in our E-Waste Pickup Bag, and we’ll handle the rest. We take cords, cables, wires, and small electronics, along with any other empty containers or recycling, during Refill Day to ensure everything is disposed of properly.

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