Recycling
We are all responsible for the health of the planet and the care for the health of others. Electronic waste is a growing concern, and we should take steps to address it.
Define that please
What is e-waste?
The EPA classifies “e-waste,” “electronic waste,” “e-scrap,” and “end-of-life electronics” as used electronics that are nearing the end of their useful life and are discarded, donated, or given to a recycler.1
What classifies as e-waste?
Using a different set of categories, the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development defines e-waste in six categories:
- Temperature exchange equipment (such as air conditioners, and freezers)
- Screens, monitors (TVs, laptops)
- Lamps (LED lamps, for example)
- Large equipment (washing machines, electric stoves)
- Small equipment (microwaves, electric shavers)
- Small IT and telecommunication equipment (such as mobile phones, and printers)
In 2021, an estimated 57.4 metric tonnes of e-waste was generated globally. According to estimates in Europe, where the problem is best studied, 11 of 72 electronic items in an average household are no longer in use or broken. Annually per citizen, another 4 to 5 kg of unused electrical and electronic products are hoarded in Europe before being discarded.2
Not much gets recycled
According to the UN Environment Programme, the world produces as much as 50 million tonnes of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) a year, weighing more than all of the commercial airliners ever made. Only 20% of this is formally recycled.3
Good news
We can do something about it
There are facilities all over the United States to help combat e-waste. We make sure your electronics get sent directly to them.
Come on y’all
What to Do
Bring your old and discarded electronics to our office year-round for in-store credit and to help reduce e-waste being sent to landfills.
Works Cited
1 “Cleaning Up Electronic Waste (E-Waste).” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, November 2, 2021. https://www.epa.gov/international-cooperation/cleaning-electronic-waste-e-waste.
2 “International e-Waste Day: 57.4m Tonnes Expected in 2021.” WEEE Forum, October 13, 2021. https://weee-forum.org/ws_news/international-e-waste-day-2021/.
3 Nijma, Shari. “UN Report: Time to Seize Opportunity, Tackle Challenge of e-Waste.” UN Environment. United Nations, January 24, 2019. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/un-report-time-seize-opportunity-tackle-challenge-e-waste.