| In the realm of solid waste, reuse
means the equipment is still working and can be sold or
donated, thus continuing the "life" of the product. The term
recycling means the equipment is disassembled and the
components--such as plastic, glass, and metals--are recovered
and used to manufacture new products. Some organizations are
involved in both reuse and recycling while others focus on one
activity.
Options
What should be done with old electronic products?
Computer monitors, televisions and other electronic equipment
should NOT be disposed of with regular garbage.
Working TVs, monitors, computers and other consumer
electronics can be sold or donated thereby prolonging their
useful life. Nonfunctioning TVs and computer monitors should
be recycled by an
organization
equipped to handle them.
A first step in properly managing electronic products at
the end of their useful life is to look in your
Yellow Pages under Computer
Dealers--Used and Recycled; Environmental and Ecological
Services; Recycling Equipment and Services; Scrap Metals;
Waste Disposal--Hazardous; or Waste Disposal, Reduction and
Recycling.
Electronics: A New Opportunity for
Waste Prevention, Reuse, and Recycling, published
by the U.S. EPA, includes information on how to properly
manage electronics.
What if no appropriate recycling or disposal option is
readily available? One word: Patience. Laws and policies
are rapidly evolving and may subject portions of your
equipment to hazardous waste regulation. It is important to
correctly manage these materials, and as the laws evolve, so
too will options for managing your e-waste.
Many local governments, nonprofit organizations, industry
groups, and other organizations can help you handle your
electronic products. These programs are central to increasing
the reuse and recycling of electronic products. If you know of
a program or event that is not included here, please contact
us.
See an E-Drive in action.
Business Options
What should be done with Corporate or Business Scrap?
Generally, all the above is true with even more
requirements facing businesses. They should NOT
be disposed of with regular garbage. In almost all business
scenarios, there is a wide variety of E-Scrap produced and
almost all this scrap has some residual value. Time is
of the essence. The longer a company "closets" this
waste the less it is worth eventually costing the business
dollars to dispose of it. ATR's business services can be as
basic as picking up equipment at the dock, or on-site
personnel assisting in a migration and taking PC's directly
from the desktop while your resources deploy new assets.
A first step in properly managing electronic products at
the end of their useful life is to partner with a company that
can assist you in the remarketing, reclamation, and eventually
recycling of these assets. Check these companies out, since
they are not all created equal. Things to look for in a
reputable E-Scrap Company:
- Established Brick and Mortar Company, Not Export Brokers
- Data Tracking Systems to Minimize Reporting Errors and
Risk
- No Landfill Policy Companies
- Do they actually Process? or Simply "skim the cream"
from the top and dispose of the rest?
- Fiscally Sound
- Local County, State, and Federally Listed and Approved
Compiled resources
For Illinois, we have compiled a list of
electronic product reuse and recycling
locations. It is
important that generators of discarded equipment determine
which options are appropriate for particular equipment and
check references to evaluate past performance.
You should also check with your community's waste reduction
coordinator to determine if there is a program available to
you. Often that role is served by your local public works or
environmental health department. If you need help tracking
down a local contact, check with our
County List.
See an E-Drive in action.
Nationwide directories
The
Directory of the North American
Scrap Electronics Recycling Industry
is available for a fee from Resource Recycling. The
Directory contains extensive details about firms and
organizations that acquire and process obsolete computers,
peripherals TVs and other electronics.
The
Electronics Industry Alliance
maintains a national list searchable by state.
The
International Association of
Electronic Recyclers Directory
of the Electronics Recycling Industry allows you to search
for organizations that are involved in electronics
recycling. Most of the database focuses on companies that
provide recycling services for electronic products.
National Recycling Coalition (NRC)
hosts the National Database of Electronics Recyclers, Reuse
Organizations, and Municipal Programs.
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