E-waste consists of electronics equipment (cell phones, computers, fax machines, televisions, etc.) that has been discarded. Instead of being recycled, it is usually burned or piled in landfills. This means that toxins such as mercury and lead are released into the air, soil and water. This is a growing problem as more and more electronic devices are manufactured, purchased, and discarded. To deal with this problem, companies have arisen that will recycle discarded electronics.
What Are E-companies?
E-waste companies vary state by state. Generally speaking, an e-waste company will pick up e-waste from customers or accept drop-offs. They then recycle the e-waste is various ways. Some charge a small fee to fund the recycling process. Your local environmental protection agency is a good place to start if you want to find an e-waste company in your area.
There are also lists of e-waste companies online, complete with a rating system based on how eco-friendly the company is. Most local e-waste companies have limits on what sort of e-waste they will accept.
E-companies are often on the lookout for volunteers, too. You might consider joining an e-waste company as a volunteer and gain firsthand knowledge of the problem and its potential solutions.
What Do these Companies Do with All that E-waste?
Reputable e-waste companies will recycle your discarded electronics in various ways:
* The non-hazardous metal components such as steel and aluminum are separated out and sent to refineries or recycling centers where they are recycled along with other metals. The “precious” metals such as copper and gold are usually sent to smelters or refineries.
* Plastic, which surrounds just about all modern electronics equipment, is sent to a recycling center to be recycled as hard plastics normally are.
* Some e-waste companies refurbish discarded electronics, particularly computers, which they then donate to schools, non-profit organizations, or prisons.
What to Watch Out For in E-waste Companies
Not all e-waste companies have ethical or eco-friendly business practices. Less reputable companies have been known to ship e-waste overseas to developing countries, where workers – some of them children – are exposed to the hazardous materials when they disassemble the electronic products.
In developing nations, the hazardous materials in the disassembled electronics are discarded in manners that are environmentally unsafe, such as flushing computer chips into rivers or incinerating electronic parts.
Another shady practice among e-waste companies is the shipment of e-waste to prisons where inmates – unprotected against the hazardous materials – dismantle the items. Reputable e-waste companies will donate refurbished computers to prisons, or will follow applicable laws regarding inmate safety if inmates do refurbish electronics for that company.
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