E-Scrap and Electronics Recycling
E-Scrap and Electronics Recycling
E-waste contains hazardous chemicals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury. These may decay over time, leaking into the soil and water around the various landfills. Eventually, it disrupts the ecosystem and negatively impacts our planet.
Don’t just throw old electronics in the trash bins. Recycling electronics is the right way to dispose of your e-waste. Each item consists of valuable materials — including metals, plastics, and glass — that can be recovered,recycled, and reused.
Why Should You Recycle E-Waste?
It’s important to understand that you don’t have to toss your e-waste into the trash. Recycling is the best alternative for you and the planet. How? Here are the top seven reasons why you should consider recycling your old electronics:
- Electronic items contain toxic materials — such as beryllium, cadmium, chromium, polyvinyl chloride, etc. — that are hazardous to the environment. Recycling prevents e-waste from making it to the landfills in the first place.
- It’s also illegal to throw e-waste in bins alongside regular garbage. Instead, it’s recommended that you drop these items off at designated recycling sites.
- It may come to you as a surprise, but e-waste that isn’t processed by licensed recyclers often ends up in 3rd world countries that aren’t always aware of how to address the issues resulting from the dumped e-waste.
- Many of the raw materials in electronics retain high value. Recycling thesemeans that fewer raw materials would have to be drawn from nature to produce newer devices/equipment.
- Having your e-waste managed by an experienced and certified recycler ensures that the waste will not damage your community’s environment. Plus, most components would be reused, which significantly reduces the time, energy, and money that would otherwise go into manufacturing every new item.
- Throwing away electronic devices like cell phones and computersleaves you at risk of information theft — even if you’ve deleted everything off the device before throwing it out. Instead, you should recycle with a qualified company to ensure that your informationwill be protected.
- Recycling saves energy, reduces pollution, and emits fewer greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, protecting the environment.
Amongst the primary reasons to recycle e-scrap and electronics is that it’s the right thing to dofor the planet!
Can You Reduce E-Waste?
The commitment to recycling often starts with understanding why you don’t want these items to end up in community landfills, which we discussed above.
The challenge is that many people don’t know if their old electronics can be recycled. This is why it’s so important to spread the word so that more people will recognize recycling as a practical option.
The appetite for new electronics will only increase with time. This is why it’s so important to reuse as much as possible, be a good consumer, look for environmentally friendly labels, consider limiting the number of electronics you own, maintain what you have, and most importantly, RECYCLE!
Recycle Your E-Scrap at Midwest PGM Recycling Center!
If you have a bunch of old electronics, go ahead and unload them! You can drop off your materials at our recycling facility in Cedar Lake, Indiana. Midwest PGM Recycling Center can take your electronic waste and send these off for responsible recycling.
To learn how you can recycle e-scrap, get in touch with us at (219) 374-8700. You can also fill out our online contact form, and one of our representatives will get in touch with you.