Recycling Electronics

According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Americans own approximately 24 electronic products per household. As America’s – and the world’s – passion and reliance on digital electronics has skyrocketed over the past two decades, a byproduct of this trend is a growing pile of e-waste throughout our nation. Constant improvements in technology prompt us to “trade-up” our equipment, meaning many small electronic devices only have a perceived life span of a year or two before being discarded in favor of the next fancy gadget.

Much of this equipment ends up in U.S. landfills. Some are shipped off to other countries where workers – some children – break apart computers, phones and other devices to harvest valuable (and often dangerous) materials such as lead and cadmium for resale.

Electronic waste accounts for 70 percent of the overall toxic waste in landfills. In addition to valuable metals like aluminum, electronics often contain hazardous materials like mercury. Even in small doses, these materials can contaminate soil and drinking water when they are dumped in landfills.

You can make a difference by recycling all of your electronics. Most computer and accessory manufacturers and retailers have recycling programs, so check out what your computer company offers by going onto their web site. Increasingly, especially with the switch to digital, television manufacturers offer this option too.

Many St. Louis-area communities have annual (or more frequent) electronic recycling drop-off events. Check EcoLifeSTL.com for details on these recycling drives.

For more information on Electronic Recycling in St. Louis, visit eCycleStLouis.org.