Last Updated on August 28, 2024

E waste recycling is more important now than it has ever been. Electronics are a major part of most people’s lives, and it seems like no one is actually sure what to do with them once they’re worn out.

Junk drawers, landfills, and recycling bins, oh my! E-waste is everywhere, but how to recycle e waste is a mystery to many. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t buy electronics at the rate we do, but we don’t live in a perfect world. While reducing consumption is a great start (maybe you don’t need a new phone every single year?), it’s unrealistic to expect everyone to go without any devices. Recycling e waste as it comes is the next best thing!

This post was sponsored by SellCell.
All thoughts and opinions are my own for more information please see my disclosure policy.

recycling e waste

E-waste is the fastest growing solid waste stream. Each year, more and more electronics are bought, used, and discarded. Americans alone throw out 8 million tons of electronic waste every year.

I’m so proud to be typing this blog post on my 10 year old laptop. Which might run pretty slow… which might weigh 15lbs… which might have a teeny tiny memory space… but it’s still working great! *knock on wood*

Also, if you want to knock on wood for me… I’d appreciate that.

I love my laptop and would be perfectly content for it to stick with me for many more years to come.

The problem is, eventually, the software won’t work on my laptop. I won’t be able to update my browser. Maybe the Adobe Suite, which I depend on for my business, won’t be compatible.

Many manufacturers continue to create new and “better” devices year after year. They want us to keep reaching for just a little bit better technology.

Old models are phased out by making them difficult to repair or not offering updates. It’s a way to keep us spending money.

After all, how can they churn a profit if all of us hold onto our devices for decades?

A lot of this also harkens to planned obsolescence. Not sure what that is? Check out my blog post What is Zero Waste? What is the Circular Economy?

One of the best things you can do is hold onto your electronic devices for as long as possible before recycling. If you need to upgrade, think of trading your old devices in to have them refurbished instead of just sending them off to be recycled.

sellcell – the electronic circular economy

Companies like SellCell help users trade-in hundreds of thousands of phones and tablets per year, significantly reducing e-waste.

They ensure recycling codes of conduct are enforced for the safe and non-hazardous disposal of goods. Since 2008, SellCell has helped 2 million plus users trade in their electronics!

When you have your old electronics refurbished, they can stay in the waste stream for as long as possible. On the flip side, when it’s time for you to buy a new device, make sure that you check the secondhand market!

Between my husband and I, our last two electronic purchases (laptop and cell phone) were both bought refurbished!

Let’s get down to it. This is one post in a series of posts I’m doing called “How to Recycle – the Right Way!”

First, we did How to Recycle Metals – the Right Way! Then, we had How to Recycle Paper -The Right Way!

Now, we’re talking ALL about E-Waste.

If e-waste is the fastest growing waste stream, then we’ve got to make sure that we’re recycling e waste — the right way!

what is e waste recycling?

The term e-waste is loosely applied to electronic equipment when it’s reached the end of its useful life, but there is no clear definition of what e-waste is. While we most commonly associate computers, fax machines, cell phones, and charging cables with e-waste, it could also apply to appliances.

However, there’s no set definition for e-waste, so whether or not appliances are technically e-waste is yet to be determined. I’m very interested to see how the definition of e-waste develops as we advance with technology or IoT (Internet of things).

So in that context, e waste recycling is the repurposing of those electronic goods (or parts of those goods) to turn them into new products. The plastics can be recycled into new plastics. The metals repurposed into new metals. And ideally, the technology is repurposed and used in new technology rather than sitting in a landfill, oozing carbon emissions (852 metric tonnes of it, to be exact).

are you sure it’s e waste?

Raise your hand if you have a stash of old cell phones sitting in a drawer? I’m embarrassed to say I actually have every phone I’ve ever owned…. Razr, Sidekick, iPhone 4, iPhone 5C. All of them are sitting in a drawer together just chillin’.

In fact, the average US family has 3 devices — and often have many redundant old devices stored away in cupboards and drawers. (source)

But just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s necessarily waste. Even if you think your old devices are broken or suffering from water damage, they still have value and can probably be repaired.

You can trade in your old devices with SellCell. In fact, they are so confident that the user will get the best price for their old devices that they offer a Best Price Guarantee.

So, one of the easiest ways to part with your electronics (and avoid e-waste!) is getting a little bit of money in your pocket.

Before you even get to recycling e waste, double check to see if you can sell your device back first.

e waste is full of valuable resources:

One of my favorite e-waste recycling initiatives is this jewelry line. Dell has partnered with Bayou with Love to make upcycled jewelry with the metals from e-waste. Which I think is pretty awesome. I have an opal ring (my birthstone!) from the collection.

E-waste also contains valuable precious metals like gold, copper, silver, and rare earth minerals. We’re depleting the earth very quickly of non-renewable rare-earth minerals used to make electronics. So it’s important for the future of the industry to figure out how we can recycle and reuse what we have.

According to the UN, up to 90% of e-waste is dumped illegally which is a huge environmental hazard. “Globally, e-waste is the most traded hazardous waste on the planet,” Jim Puckett, the executive director of the Basel Action Network (BAN) said.

not all e waste recycling is created equally:

The Basel Action Network is a non-profit working to regulate e-waste exports from industrialized societies to developing countries.

Some “recyclers” will drop e-waste off in developing parts of Africa and Asia where they don’t have proper recycling processes.

Workers are forced to smash and strip the electronics for their precious metals. In some places, gold is recovered by bathing circuit boards in nitric and hydrochloric acid.

With little to no environmental regulations, these hazardous materials are left lying around which leaves workers, the water, the soil, and the surrounding community at risk.

why the landfill is not an option

If your devices were too old or too damaged to sell, remember: e-waste should NEVER be tossed in the garbage can to be dumped in the landfill.

E-waste contains toxic and hazardous materials like mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium, chromium, and chemical flame retardants which are particularly dangerous when leached into our soil and water.

How does discarding computers in a landfill affect the environment? Read on.

how to recycle e waste:

reduce first, then recycle:

To reiterate what I said before we got into the recycling portion, try to reduce the amount of e-waste you have in the first place!

One of the best places to start is by repairing what you own. If you think it’s becoming more and more difficult to get your belongings repaired, check out repair.org!

They’re focused on creating legislation to make sure that we have the right to repair our belongings.

Focus on reducing how many electronics you buy. When you do shop, try to buy secondhand. Hold onto what you have as long as possible and opt for repairs.

find a certified e waste recycling center

So, if selling to recirculate isn’t an option, how to recycle e waste? The best way to recycle e waste is to find an E-Steward Certified e-waste recycler.

E-Stewards is a global team that makes sure organizations, businesses, and waste management companies are disposing of e-waste responsibly. They’re also working on initiatives to stop the illegal trade of e-waste!

Looking for the E-Steward certification is one of the easiest ways to recycle your electronics. And they make recycling e waste as painless as possible.

Since you know that your products are going to be recycled, you don’t have to worry about illegal trade or social and environmental hazards.

faqs about e waste recycling

how does discarding computers in a landfill affect the environment?

There are no positives to discarding computers and other electronics in a landfill. As mentioned above, computers contain hazardous chemicals that are released into the ground and water when computers are left to the elements.

They’re not biodegradable, which means every computer that has ever been dumped is still there, poisoning its surroundings. Copper circuit boards create fire hazards.

And, last but not least, dumping electronics robs us of the ability to reuse their valuable components, putting a strain on the raw materials markets.

what is the recycling rate of e waste?

It’s not great, but I was pleasantly surprised by the number as I was expecting it to be much lower. According to Earth.org, 22.3% of the reported electronic waste generated in 2022 was recycled in an environmentally sound manner.

Imagine the environmental impact we could have if we bumped that number up to 50%. 75%! 100%!?

how can I recycle e waste in my small or rural town?

Find a mail-in e-waste recycling company! Companies like Homeboy Electronics Recycling allow you to print shipping labels and mail in your electronics to be properly recycled. A quick Google search will reveal multiple companies that do something very similar.

This method isn’t as ideal as selling an old device to be recirculated. And shipping processes still create quite the carbon footprint. But a solution like mail-in recycling is far better than dumping your electronics as a last resort.

further reading:

E-Waste Offers Economic Opportunities as Well as Toxicity

Recycling is Not the Answer to the E-Wast Crisis

Toxic E-Waste Dumped in Poor Countries, Says United Nations

Wasted: For the Sake of Our Only Planet, Recycle Your E-Waste

Up to 90% of the World’s Electronic Waste is Illegally Dumped, Says UN