3 Things That Can Help You Get Started With Electronics Recycling

November 29, 2021

If you want to help the planet by conserving natural resources and materials, you should think about recycling your old electronics. Here are three things that can help you get started taking this step, so you can better protect the planet. 

1. Understand Why Recycling Electronics Is Necessary

Electronic recycling is crucial because it allows metals, glass, and plastics to be recovered, so companies don’t waste more energy on mining and manufacturing them. For instance, recycling one million computers each year allows for thousands of pounds of copper, silver, gold, and palladium to be recovered. That saves about 35,000 million homes worth of electricity. Plus, it reduces the greenhouse gases and water pollution caused by mining and manufacturing. 

2. Take the Right Steps Before You Donate

If you live by the “reduce, reuse, and recycle” mantra, then the first step you should take is to see if any software upgrades can help your electronics run more efficiently, so you don’t need to recycle them. When it is time for them to be recycled, the first thing you should do is remove all your personal information from the devices. Then, take out the batteries, as these may need to be recycled separately. Finally, you can locate and drop them off at your local recycling facility. 

3. Know What Locations Take Your Items

Manufacturers and retailers are the best places to take your items as they take the broadest range of devices. HP is one of the largest manufacturers that recycle and accepts many used devices, including printers, cell phones, computers, and tablets. Xerox is another example of a manufacturer that recycles electronics, although they only accept printers. As far as retailers go, Best Buy is one of the most prominent recyclers, taking cell phones, tablets, computers, and televisions. 

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Aside from these stores, you can often find recycling days at your local landfill. Your scrap metal facility may also take some electronics, such as computers. These places are usually interested in selling the metal inside your devices, so you can rest assured they will recycle your electronics. However, you will need to do additional research to determine what devices they accept and when they take them. 

Recycling your electronics is a crucial part of being a sustainable consumer. By understanding this information, you can start recycling your devices, so you can rest easy about using them and reduce your impact on the planet.