Here’s how to recycle those old laptops, iPhones and earbuds lying around
Many consumers are guilty of filling drawers or closets with old laptops, cell phones, fitness trackers and other electronic devices once they are no longer needed. It’s difficult to know where to recycle these items because it seems expensive and inconvenient.
The world generates millions of tons of electronic waste every year. According to the most recent United Nations estimate, people around the world produced 137 billion pounds (62 million tons) of e-waste in 2022, and only about 22% of it was properly recycled. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that less than a quarter of e-waste is recycled each year in the United States.
It is important to keep e-waste out of landfills because the devices contain materials that can harm the environment. Electronics can also contain hard-to-obtain precious metals and rare earths, making recycling valuable to businesses.
“The way we create, use and dispose of these devices has generated this completely unsustainable waste stream,” said Rick Neitzel, professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan. “And there are no signs of slowing down. In fact, the trend continues to accelerate.”
Experts say that if more consumers recycled their e-waste, it could even lower the cost of some electronic devices. Here are some tips.
Although all recycling has its challenges, recycling e-waste is often more confusing than recycling a plastic bottle or cardboard box. Common containers can be recycled at the curb or in public trash cans, but knowing where to take an electronic device often requires research.
“Cardboard comes in many shapes and sizes, but at the end of the day, it’s still cardboard,” Neitzel said.
Electronics, on the other hand, can range from a small earphone to a large refrigerator, each with different materials inside, he said. Recyclers must be able to efficiently extract each component and material. This is a complex, energy-intensive and expensive process.
But the effort is worth it. Components such as steel, aluminum, copper, gold, silver, plastics and even glass can be recovered and reused, said John Shegerian, founder of Electronic Recyclers International.
Keeping harmful materials out of landfills is another incentive.
“These electronic devices – which could and have historically ended up in our landfills or other inappropriate places – can leak whatever’s on them: Mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium, arsenic. All of these things are horrible if they get into our environmental ecosystem,” Shegerian said.
Experts say recovering precious metals from devices also helps the environment by reducing the need to mine more of these resources.
Some consumers may be hesitant to recycle their devices because of the personal data stored on them. Experts say that to protect your data, start with a factory reset, not just deleting files.
Resets restore the device to its original settings and completely delete data. It is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, as each device has different steps. Wiping an Android phone, for example, requires different steps than erasing an iPhone. The Cyber Security and Infrastructure Agency provides advice on data protection, including where to look for manufacturer instructions.
Even factory resets can leave data traces, which is why some recyclers will go so far as to shred a device’s hard drive and verify that it has been destroyed. What’s left goes through the recycling process.
If an item is newer and still working, manufacturers can refurbish it and resell it. Some charities and recyclers can also refresh the devices so they can be distributed to those in need.
Look for large electronics and computer manufacturers that allow their old equipment to be returned on buyback deals or dropped off at a partner site. Apple, for example, offers credit toward a future purchase if your trade-in is recent enough. Otherwise, they offer free recycling for old models.
The Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries have donation programs that accept some used electronics, but it’s important to check with your store to find out exactly what they need. Consumers should avoid flooding premises with items that cannot be sold or disposed of properly.
Even if a device can’t be refurbished, manufacturers are still a good first place to check, experts say.
“Manufacturers are where we want these things to end up because they know their products, they know best and most efficiently how to recycle them,” Neitzel said.
Retailers such as Best Buy and Staples accept appliances large and small for recycling. Best Buy will also take away TVs and major appliances for a fee when purchasing new models, then work with electronics recyclers.
Although local governments generally do not accept electronic devices in curbside recycling, many have drop-off locations that can be searched on their websites.
“Typically, if you drop them off at a government-run e-waste collection station, you can be sure,” Neitzel said.
Recycle Nation allows consumers to search for specific items and find locations in their zip code that will take those items.
Other snail mail options include Amazon and Waste Management. Consumers can order boxes to their home, fill them with their items and return them.
Some programs charge a small fee. Some returns sites, for example, charge a processing fee of a few dollars, like $5 per monitor, or a flat cost based on the weight of returns or per car load if you drop them off in person.
And even when a device can’t be refurbished, recycling is important to the nation’s mineral and rare earth supply chain, said Terence Musho, an associate professor of engineering at West Virginia University.
He said improving the mineral recovery process and increasing recycling rates can also help consumers in other ways: “It can also potentially lower the price of your future electronics.” »
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