Recycling Electronics
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Landfills in some places may still accept some electronic items, but the components often have valuable and toxic substances in them. Computer circuit boards have everything from gold to arsenic on them, depending on the age, application and manufacturer of the circuit boards. Reuse and recycling are the best disposal.
Manufacturers, Retailers and Organizations
A joint venture started by Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba called Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company (MRM) is one solution. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recognized MRM for its innovative approach to encouraging recycling.
MRM set up recycling at drop off centers for charities and at self storage units. Go to their website for recycling information from all over the United States.
Another website worth checking out is ECO Take Back. The consumer fills out a short questionnaire about the unit, the manufacturer and the owner's zip code for information on where and what to find a recycler. Often manufacturers are taking back their own units, but normally there is a charge for shipping the item.
Some items that are of recent vintage or in good shape can be reused. Here are a few suggested organizations that either take donated computers or suggest places to donate computers with an eye to passing them on to another user:
* The National Cristina Foundation
* TechSoup
* Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT)
Many cell phone retailers collect old phones and the accessories, like chargers, to donate to shelters for victims of domestic violence. Women at risk are given cell phones so that they can call 911 for help if they find themselves confronted by their abuser.
Government Entities Can Help
Many municipalities and counties have household hazardous waste facilities or a website dealing with all kinds of problem waste items. Local governments can help find a local way to safely dispose of electronic waste.
Some states have made electronic recycling mandatory, so check with the state environmental authority for help on recycling in the area. A few states that require electronic recycling are California, Maine and Minnesota, but there are others.
EPA has a program called Plug into E-Cycling. On the website, the Agency lists items like cell phones, computers and televisions and lists retailers and manufacturers who collect used items to be reused or recycled.
A word of caution for the owner of a soon-to-be-recycled computer or cell phone: remove, delete or otherwise move information, including cell phone numbers, from the unit.
Reputable recyclers will post on their website exactly what happens to the unit before disposal. Look for companies or organizations that wipe memory with special data scrambling software or shred the hard drive of a damaged computer.
Recycling electronics can help keep the environment safer and preserve natural resources by reusing material from the old units. EPA says that by 2007, 264.6 million electronic items were in storage. America, it's time to clean house.
SOURCE:
http://waste-reduction.suite101.com/article.cfm/recycling_electronics
Manufacturers, Retailers and Organizations
A joint venture started by Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba called Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company (MRM) is one solution. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recognized MRM for its innovative approach to encouraging recycling.
MRM set up recycling at drop off centers for charities and at self storage units. Go to their website for recycling information from all over the United States.
Another website worth checking out is ECO Take Back. The consumer fills out a short questionnaire about the unit, the manufacturer and the owner's zip code for information on where and what to find a recycler. Often manufacturers are taking back their own units, but normally there is a charge for shipping the item.
Some items that are of recent vintage or in good shape can be reused. Here are a few suggested organizations that either take donated computers or suggest places to donate computers with an eye to passing them on to another user:
* The National Cristina Foundation
* TechSoup
* Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT)
Many cell phone retailers collect old phones and the accessories, like chargers, to donate to shelters for victims of domestic violence. Women at risk are given cell phones so that they can call 911 for help if they find themselves confronted by their abuser.
Government Entities Can Help
Many municipalities and counties have household hazardous waste facilities or a website dealing with all kinds of problem waste items. Local governments can help find a local way to safely dispose of electronic waste.
Some states have made electronic recycling mandatory, so check with the state environmental authority for help on recycling in the area. A few states that require electronic recycling are California, Maine and Minnesota, but there are others.
EPA has a program called Plug into E-Cycling. On the website, the Agency lists items like cell phones, computers and televisions and lists retailers and manufacturers who collect used items to be reused or recycled.
A word of caution for the owner of a soon-to-be-recycled computer or cell phone: remove, delete or otherwise move information, including cell phone numbers, from the unit.
Reputable recyclers will post on their website exactly what happens to the unit before disposal. Look for companies or organizations that wipe memory with special data scrambling software or shred the hard drive of a damaged computer.
Recycling electronics can help keep the environment safer and preserve natural resources by reusing material from the old units. EPA says that by 2007, 264.6 million electronic items were in storage. America, it's time to clean house.
SOURCE:
http://waste-reduction.suite101.com/article.cfm/recycling_electronics