Technology doesn’t last forever, so what would you do if your keyboard or computer monitor bit the dust tomorrow? Some might just throw the technology in the trash and not think twice about it, but that’s the exact opposite of what you should do. Instead, we urge you to go through the proper channels to properly dispose of your old electronics—if not for the environment’s sake, then for your business’.
How Does Recycling Work for Old Technology?
When a device reaches its end of life, whether for security reasons or simple wear and tear, there’s a process one should follow. Here’s what that process looks like from start to finish:
The Recycling Process, Simplified
Once your e-waste is collected and delivered to the recycling center, it gets separated. This is done via shredding. Once this shredding is done, the pieces are sorted out with magnets, which capture metal parts, while the glass and plastics are separated by water and by hand. Once these reclaimed materials have been sorted, they can then be prepared for sale to manufacturers, who will then reuse the materials in new products.
Why Recycling Is Especially Important for e-Waste
Tech is Terrible for the Environment
It’s surprising how many hazardous materials are found in modern electronics. In fact, you can expect to see a wide assortment of metals, including some rare and valuable ones, at use in the creation of various electronics. These metals include:
- Aluminium - appears in circuit boards, hard drives, chips, and heat sinks.
- Cobalt - appears in hard drives.
- Copper - appears in cables, heat sinks, circuit boards, chips, and mobile devices.
- Gold - appears in chips, mobile devices, and circuit boards.
- Palladium - appears in hard drives, circuit boards, capacitors, and mobile devices.
- Platinum - appears in circuit boards and hard drives.
- Neodymium - appears in hard drives.
- Nickel - appears in circuit boards.
- Silver - appears in mobile devices, chips, circuit boards, capacitors, and keyboard membranes.
- Tantalum - appears in capacitors and circuit boards.
- Tin - appears in chips and circuit boards.
- Zinc - appears in circuit boards.
If these toxic materials are dumped in a landfill, they can have serious negative impacts on local communities. Rains can cause runoff and pollution, not to mention soil contamination. Furthermore, many of these landfills are found in developing countries, which means that these negative consequences disproportionately impact their populations.
When you recycle, you’re making a choice that leads to better health outcomes for people around the world and a healthier environment… and potentially even for your own business (we’ll get to that later).
Recycling e-Waste Minimizes Wasted Money and Resources
It turns out that recycling your old, outdated technology is also financially beneficial. The United Nations Institute for Training and Research found that 62 million tons of e-waste was generated in 2022, but only 22.3 percent was actually recycled. That’s over $60 billion in resources wasted.
Only a measly one percent of all rare earth materials used in technology can be recovered through recycling, but this only makes it all the more important to do your part—especially considering how valuable these materials are and the cost of acquiring more of them.
What You Should Recycle
Curious what can be recycled? Here’s an extensive list:
- Batteries
- Controllers
- Hard Drives
- CDs and CD Players
- Copy Machines
- Keyboards/li>
- Cell Phones
- Desktop Computers
- Laptop Computers
- Commercial Equipment
- Docking Stations
- Mainframes
- Computer Monitors
- Fax Machines
- Medical Equipment
- Modems
- Gaming Consoles
- Microwaves
- Mouse
- Printed Circuit
- Military Equipment
- Network Hubs
- Printers
- Stereos
- Office Equipment
- Radios
- Switching Boxes
- Office/Home Phones and Equipment
- Rechargeable Batteries
- Tablets
- Peripherals
- Scanners
- Telecommunications Equipment
- Power & Network
- Servers
- Televisions
-
- Small Household Appliances
- UPS (personal & network)
-
-
- VCRs
As you can see, there are many materials that can and should be recycled, which only serves to prove our point that it’s important to do so.
Let Us Help You Recycle Your Old Tech
If you need some help with recycling, we can help you find the right facilities so you know for sure that your tech is being handled appropriately. We can also help you prep your technology for recycling by making sure that all data is wiped from it before the recycling process starts. To learn more, call us at (432) 520-3539 today.
Comments