Recycling Is The Solution To The Electronic Waste Problem

[Editors note: This post was originally published in January 2018 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.] 

Electronic waste, or E-waste, is a major problem for the waste disposal industry. Because of the vast quantity of e-waste items and the toxic materials in them, recycling is the best solution. 

 Businesses and homeowners can be discouraged from participating in e-waste recycling by the regulations and added fees involved. In fact, for many people, it's much easier to simply throw out their old electronics. In fact, recycling their e-waste is not a first option for far too many people.

But this presents some problems.

It is often illegal to dispose of most electronics in the trash. And it's a health hazard since e-waste contains toxic materials that are shown to be dangerous to human health.

However, just because it's against the law doesn't mean we don't toss our old phones and tablets in the trash anyway. Who's going to know? Unfortunately, if these e-waste materials are not recovered and separated at some point, they may end up in landfills and - quite possibly - impacting ground water sources.

E-Waste Recycling and Junk Hauling

When you decide to properly dispose of your e-waste items such as old TVs, computer monitors, and any electronic devices with circuit boards and speakers, there are a few issues to consider.

Because of the number of current laws and regulations, especially in states such as California, many items such as monitors, TVs, and even cell phones cannot be simply tossed in the trash. These containg hazardous waste materials.

However, when you want to properly dispose of a computer monitor, for example - particularly any old CRT devices you still have around - the process takes time, effort and money.

This is where a junk hauling service that offers e-waste pick up and recycling can be a great benefit. This can be especially useful for a a business or other organizations that tend to accumulate larger amounts of old electronics over time. 

By ensuring that your electronics - whether a cell phone or two, or a truck-load of e-waste - are properly disposed of by recycling or even re-use, you can significantly help reduce the e-waste disposal problem.

E-Waste Continues to Grow in the U.S. and Worldwide

The sheer volume of electronics that are disposed of each year in the United States is overwhelming. For example, it's been estimated that over 1.3 million cell phones are replaced every year! And that number continues to grow.

An article in The Atlantic noted

Countries like the United States regulate where and how e-waste gets recycled, but many goods still fill landfills instead. Of the $206 billion spent on consumer electronics in the U.S. in 2012, only 29 percent of the resulting e-waste generated was recycled. The rest were simply trashed. Who even remembers what they did with their first (or third, or fifth) iPhone?

However, the numbers are improving over time. It's been calculate that an estimated 1.25 million tons of e-waste goes through electronics recyclers in the United States every year. 

We've illustrated some of the key facts on e-waste collection and electronic waste recycling in the United States:

And the Numbers Keep Increasing...

According to a report from the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union

Altogether, the report estimates that nearly 45 million tons of electronics were thrown out in 2016—and only about 20 percent of it is known to have been recycled. The report puts the value of the raw materials in that 45 million tons of e-waste at about $55 billion ($9 billion from smartphones alone), but most of that waste isn’t being recovered.

The opportunities to improve this situation locally are huge. 

You Can Get Professional Junk Removal for Your E-Waste

Junk King provides an efficient, safe and eco-friendly e-waste removal service so you don’t need to worry about the pick up or disposal of those old items.

Not only that, we also ensure that your old electronics end up in the right place. Whether it goes to a charity if the electronics are still functioning, or to a recycling facility, we make your e-waste is disposed of in an eco-friendly way.

We remove almost all types of e-waste, including: