Electronics Recycling
in the Technology Age We Live In

Electronic items such as cell phones, computers and TVs have revolutionized our lifestyle. Most households in the U.S. own each of these three items, and often times multiple numbers of them. While we love our technology, those same technology products contain toxic substances and metals in them. This can make disposing of them a big problem.

Two ways to reduce the number of electronic items in our landfills is to reuse and recycle them as much as possible. Any electronics which are still able to be used, yet we have personally outgrown, should be donated or sold to others who can use them. Old cell phones can be donated to schools and civic organizations for emergency calling use. Older computers and TVs can be donated to people who are in need of them yet cannot afford the newest models from the manufacturers. They can also be donated to schools and organizations that need them but may not have the budget for them.

Electronics recycling is an ever emerging industry which is just now really beginning its development cycle. As more and more electronics are produced and purchased, both by individuals and corporations, the challenges facing the electronics recycling industry are building. Where consumers used to purchase a television and not replace it for 20 years, which is no longer the case. With replacement happening more frequently, as new technologies emerge, the need for electronics recycling grows exponentially.

In the past large corporations and government agencies were at the forefront of electronics recycling because they were the biggest users of a large volume of technology products. When this equipment became obsolete or no longer useful they had to find ways to recycle or dispose of it. Traditionally individuals would store their old equipment or place it in the landfill.

The disposal of used electronics products is a big topic of interest worldwide. These products are not safe to dispose of in a landfill yet their sheer volume necessitates plans and programs be put into place to deal with them in a safe manner.

Professional electronic recycling companies are able to extract the toxic substances such as lead, mercury, asbestos, and cadmium, and dispose of them in the proper manner. At the same time they optimize recycling by extracting the metals and plastics for recycling and reuse.

There are currently approximately 500 electronic recycling companies in the U.S. They range in size from small businesses to large corporations. As technology continues to grow and change there will be more and more need for electronic recycling programs and companies alike. Some of the other electronics which are commonly recycled include: florescent lamp ballasts, industrial machinery and medical equipment.

No matter how you look at it, electronics recycling plays a very vital role in the technology age of today. We love our electronics and we need to love our earth enough to keep those products out of landfills when we are done with them.