With any type of safe disposal or recycling program, there are bound to be myths on what people can and can’t do with their e-waste. The recycling industry for electronics has evolved considerably over the past few years and there are a number of electronic recycling myths that continue to be perpetuated about e-waste recycling that are no longer true under new procedures. Here are some of the top electronic recycling myths:
Your Electronic Waste Will End Up In A Landfill
Recycling organizations will use a number of processes to dismantle electronic waste and make sure that harmful materials won’t end up in a landfill. This involves the process of reusing electronic components, harvesting the valuable components, refurbishing, and recycling every material that can be properly recycled. Toxic materials will also be removed and disposed of in a safe way.
You Can Only Recycle Large Appliances
You can recycle anything electronic from an old cell phone to a full-sized server.
If I Put Electronics In The Trash, My City Recycling Program Will Separate Them
City disposal organizations are responsible for sorting but when electronics are scattered amongst other trash most of the time, they will end up in a landfill as well.
E-waste Recycling Will Put My Data At Risk
Most of the risks to your data being hacked comes from devices that are in active use and connected to the Internet. As long as you erase all of your data, recycling your e-waste is extremely safe. There are many recycling programs that will go a step further and shred hard drives as they are found.
The E-waste Programs Just Ship Electronics Overseas
Most E-waste recycling programs will limit the amount of shipping that goes overseas. There are some items that get shipped for disposal to other countries but most electronic recycling services recycle every component possible before shipping them away.
E-waste Recycling Is Harmful To The Environment Because It Wastes Energy
Recycling valuable materials takes less energy than mining or refining new materials and E-waste recycling can cut down on the future costs of electronics.
There’s Very Little Recyclable Material In E-waste
Small amounts of recyclable material can eventually lead to a sizable return. If 1 million people worldwide recycled their cell phone, for example, it would provide up to 75 pounds of gold, 772 pounds of silver, 22 pounds of Palladium, and 35,000 pounds of copper.
E-waste Isn’t Harmful When Placed In a Landfill
E-waste can be particularly harmful when placed in a landfill and the toxic materials will quickly leach into the surrounding environment placing a damaging effect on anyone living in the area. Do your part and recycle electronic waste for the health of yourself and your neighbors.
If you’re interested in learning more about electronic waste and the programs in your area, contact us today to learn more about the recycling programs we have available.