Proper Disposal and Recycling of E-Waste

In addition to “traditional” recycling programs, some electronics manufacturers and retailers also offer e-waste recycling. Many manufacturer-sponsored programs will accept and process their brand for free. Some accept other brands for a small fee.

Manufacturer Specific Programs

• Apple
• Dell
• Hewlett-Packard
• Acer
• Toshiba Trade-In and Recycling Program
• Gateway
• Lenovo/IBM - Will also accept e-waste from other computer manufacturers
• Sony
• Panasonic
• Epson

Retailer Programs

• Circuit City 
• Best Buy
• Staples - Accepts computers, monitors, laptops, desktop printers, faxes and all-in-ones
• U.S. EPA Plug-In Partners - Lists manufacturers, retailers and service providers that offer recycling of e-waste

Donation

• U.S. EPA - Lists options for donating or recycling e-waste
• Techsoup - Lists non-profit organizations and recyclers of e-waste
• Goodwill - Some locations accept computers. The site includes tips on how to donate computers.

Cell Phone Recycling/Donation

• Motorola - Accepts all brands for free
• Nokia - Accepts all brands for free
• Call2Recycle
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence - Donation of cell phones
• Call to Protect
• Verizon Wireless - Accepts phones at Verizon stores
• AT&T Wireless - Accepts phones at AT&T stores
• T-Mobile Wireless - Accepts phones in stores and by mail
• Sprint Wireless - Accepts phones in stores and by mail (recycling proceeds go to charity)

Recycling Preparation

After determining what options are available, it is important to determine whether a recycler is operating under strict environmental controls and high worker-safety protections. A few general questions to ask include:

1. Is the recycler certified (such as an ISO 14001 environmental management certification) and does it follow a set of industry recognized guidelines?
2. Does the recycler actually recycle most of the e-waste materials collected? It is best if the company can recycle 90 percent or more of the materials.
3. Does the recycler have written procedures for removing and disposing of mercury lamps in electronic products? Many manufacturer and government sponsored programs have extensive online information detailing the way in which recycling is handled.

Recently, the issue of electronics being exported overseas has become both an environmental and a health concern. The Basel Action Network and the Electronics TakeBack Campaign have qualified a group of electronics recyclers known as e-Stewards that have met criteria for globally responsible recycling.

In addition to choosing a recycler, it is also important to prepare your e-waste for recycling. For computer recycling, one important concern is to erase all data from the computer before sending it off for recycling.

In fact, many recycling firms will scrub the hard drive and certify that all data has been erased. Before sending your computer to a recycler, check to verify that this option is available.