Recycling Your Old Electronics
Electronic Recycling
Electronic recycling is becoming more popular and more necessary with all the electronic products such as computers, cell phones, printers, scanners, monitors, and fax machines, and all your other electronic gadgets that get old and need a place to go. Many of the electronic product parts we us today can be refurbished, reused, and resold almost as good as new.
Americans toss out approximately two million tons of electronic junk each year. We are filling up the landfills with toxic materials from old computer monitors, and batteries. Discarded electronics have become the main category of waste at municipal waste disposal centers. It has expanded as a definable waste category three times faster than any other, much more than paper, metals, plastic or glass, and now makes up approximately 5 % of all worldwide municipal solid waste. Some electronic products contain high enough levels of certain materials, such as lead, that render them hazardous waste when disposed. Making it even more attractive to recycle them out as a useful product again.
It is now getting so much easier to recycle your electronic products, as more and more places are jumping on this recycling bandwagon. However, there are some places that will charge a fee to recycle your old electronic equipment. There are plenty of recycling, and donation programs across the country looking for your electronic products.
If you live in the United States and have old computers, televisions or computer monitors, console TVs, air conditioners, microwave ovens, or electrical goods you want to get rid of, Best Buy will take them for free at 117 stores across the following states: Minnesota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Washington, and Maryland. And that number is growing every day.
Start Recycling Today
A complete list of where you can go to to start recycling your electronics:
Best Buy Recycling
If you should decide to donate your old computer, you can now get a tax deduction, and save the environment at the same time. Furthermore, most computer companies will accept their brand of computer to be recycled from customers buying new ones. Some office supply stores accept old computers as well. Goodwill, Salvation Army, or any second hand stores are willing to take good used computers for the needy.
Cell Phones: Find donation bins at electronic stores. Some libraries have dumpsters for old phones. Companies like CellForCash.com, will give value to many used cell phones that are not in use anymore. If you donate to CellPhone Bank you will be providing emergency communication to someone in need. They accept phones to use as emergency phones for crime victims and seniors.
Batteries: Some retail stores selling rechargeable batteries will accept used ones. It's easy and free to recycle your old cell phones and rechargeable batteries from your cordless electronic products.
http://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/
Printer Supplies: Used ink cartridges are valuable. Trade them in for discounts or refill them at retail stores. Hewlett Packard's Trade-In and recycling programs, are easy when upgrading equipment or disposing of used printing supplies. They take you through the whole process of recycling your old products. Computers-Most computer makers accept their brand from customers buying new ones. Recycle 4 Charity is another organization working to save the environment and offer good quality products to the needy.
