Recycling E-Waste (Computers, Cell Phones, TVs)

Nearly 95% of American consumers are not aware of the e-waste they discard, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. E-waste refers to the multitude of electronic products like computers, cell phones, PDAs, televisions and more that end up in landfills across the country. High tech electronics have become a major part of the garbage flow.

There are 290 million Americans that own 2 billion electronic products (IAER Electronics Recycling Industry Report 2003). 150 million cell phones, 200 million are computers and an equal number of televisions (Eric Most "Calling All Cell Phones" NY Inform 2003) are waiting to become obsolete and end up in the trash. The IAER, National Safety Council and EPA estimate 5 Ð 7 million electronic devices become obsolete every year.

A great many Americans go to great effort to recycle bottles, cans and paper. These products are composed of few materials. Electronics are more complex and must be disassembled before the separate parts can be recycled. Many of the parts have toxic components containing lead, mercury and plastic that, when burned give off dangerous chemicals like dioxins and others. A 2001 EPA report stated that 70% of the heavy metals and 40% of the lead in U.S. landfills come from high tech electronic products.

Much of the high tech garbage rescued from landfills goes to countries where inexpensive, unskilled labor is used to recover the minute quantities of gold and other precious metals. Poor, uneducated people end up getting ill or injured by the corrosive liquids and fumes given off by burning the cast-off plastics and circuit boards.

All over the country there are alternatives. Your discarded electronics can be sent to recycling centers that specialize in safely reclaiming usable components. Some states have made waste recycling fees mandatory when high tech electronics are sold. Those fees are used to fund the processes and are not refundable.

Erecycle.org has information about electronics recycling centers all over California. In January 2005 the state passed a law requiring an Electronic Waste Recycling Fee be added to the cost of certain electronic devices (computers, cell phones, televisions, etc.). Fees range from $6 - $10 per item.

E-Rase Your E-Waste is a program in Montana (mt.gov). Their website lists E-Rase events all over the state where electronics can be recycled. A fee is charged depending on the amount of material.

NYCWastele$$ (nyc.gov) is the official New York City site for information on all garbage related matters. It states that electronic products can be disposed of in regular trash but they do offer recycling alternatives across the city. It is illegal to discard rechargeable batteries in the normal trash flow. They must be returned to stores to be recycled.

Go to Earth911.org to find a high tech electronics recycling center in your city or state. A user-friendly search feature using your Zip Code will show you a center close to you. The website has volumes of information on all kinds of recycling and how to make our Earth a greener place to live.

The cell phones, flat screen TVs, PDAs and computers being sold now will be old-school in about eighteen months. Do not poison the Earth and her people by adding them to landfills. Find and use a nearby recycling center.