Highlights
- August is a peak month for electronics recycling.
- Proper electronics recycling protects the environment and recovers valuable materials.
- Old electronics should be recycled through appropriate e-waste programs—not placed in curbside recycling or landfills unless local guidance specifically allows it.
The month of August means summer is winding down, and electronics recycling is ramping up, as August is the biggest month for recycling electronic waste across the country.
Back to school routines, dorm move-ins and retooling your workspace after a summer vacation all contribute to more electronics recycling taking place in August than in any other month.
The Significance of August
Schools from elementary level through college rely more heavily on technology than ever before, according to the Virginia recycling company E-Asset Solutions. Each August, students are equipped with the latest technology for the upcoming school year, which usually means discarding old technology. In cities like Madison, Wisconsin, the August dorm move-in season at the University of Wisconsin and other colleges have prompted the city to offer free electronics and battery recycling collections. Even non-students find that after summer vacation, fall is a good time to replace old consumer electronics with the latest devices.
Why Electronic Device Recycling is Important
As e-waste continues to grow, recycling it is becoming increasingly important. According to the United Nations, e-waste is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream. It includes discarded electronic devices such as computers, laptops, smartphones, and smartwatches, as well as tech-enabled products like TVs, washing machines, copiers, and printers. The e-waste stream is growing because more household items are becoming technology enabled and because there is a faster rate of turnover for the devices as the pace of new technology continues to accelerate.
The Environmental Impact of Electronics
Some consumers may believe that recyclable tech items can be recycled curb side from your collection bin, but in many places, it is now illegal to put discarded electronics in your recycling bin and illegal to put electronics in a landfill. If old devices end up in the regular waste stream or in traditional recycling centers, it can lead to fires at collection facilities. E-waste must be recycled by electronic recycling specialists. E-waste can be made from toxic materials like lead, mercury and cadmium which can leach into the ground and contaminate the environment if they are placed in a landfill.
Electronic devices are made up of materials that can be recycled like plastic, glass and metal. But additionally, they often contain valuable resources like silver, gold and rare earth metals. Recycling these items conserves valuable resources so they don’t end up in a landfill. Material recycling saves energy, too, as it requires significantly less energy to recycle material like glass, or plastic, than to manufacture it newly.
Increasingly it is important to recycle e-waste to be in compliance with local laws and ordinances. While there is no national law governing the collection or recycling of e-waste there are a growing number of laws at the state and local level. You can check your local waste management’s website to learn about e-waste and other recycling regulations.
E-Waste Collection
Schools like the University of Chicago sponsor Campus Recycling Collection Days, according to the electronics recycling company ERI. Search the website of your school, town or county to find collection events near you. Many local governments will hold special e-waste recycling events and post them on their on-line calendars. America Recycles Day is Nov. 15 so be on the lookout for e-waste recycling opportunities then. American Recycles Day is a national observance of the importance of recycling.
Retail locations like Staples and Best Buy will also take old devices for electronic waste disposal. Finally, check with the manufacturer of your device, as some manufacturers are now offering free take-back programs.
Future Tech Waste Solutions
Looking toward the future, more manufacturers are seeking ways to make their electronic devices easier to recycle at the end of their life. During the manufacturing process, they are exploring ways that assembly can lead to easier disassembly for recycling. As this progress continues, consumers are encouraged to seek ways to refurbish and reuse existing technology, either to resell or donate to charity. As the trend toward faster technology innovation continues, so should our efforts to make sure all our electronic waste is refurbished, reused or recycled.
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