Electronic Waste

For most of us, when we think of recycling, the first things that come to mind are paper, plastics, and aluminum. But what about electronics? Electronic equipment has been recognized as a fast growing category of municipal solid waste. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, in 2005, discarded electronics totaled about 2 million tons. It’s estimated that only about 15 to 20 percent of this was recycled. Worldwide, between 20 million and 50 million tons of electronic waste is produced, according to a United Nations environment program. Since electronic equipment contains toxic chemicals, this can pose health and environmental risks, particularly in landfills where toxins may leak into the soil and ground water.

To prevent your old electronic equipment from ending up in landfills, you can donate them to charities or thrift stores, or even sell them on websites such as Craigslist and eBay. Recycling bins for electronics do exist, you just have to keep an eye out for them. I have seen bins specifically for old cell phones and related parts. The next time you replace your printer ink cartridge, place the old one in the envelope that usually comes with the new cartridge. You can then mail your old ink cartridge to be recycled. Postage is even pre-paid! Could it get any better than that? You bet. Staples currently offers a $3 rebate for any old ink cartridge that you bring into the store. Best Buy has also expanded their recycling program to all their stores nationwide.

Only about 11 percent of electronics are recycled, according to the most recent U.S. EPA estimates. Hopefully our actions can increase this number.