| WELCOME |
| Articles: Why should you eCycle? |
 |
White Paper: Managing End-of-Life IT Assets |
| Click here to read the article. |
|
|
E-Waste Contains Toxic Materials |
|
Broken and old computers are a valuable source for the secondary market for raw materials including precious metals. If these computers are not disposed properly, the environment could suffer the effects of dangerous carcinogens and toxins. With technology changing rapidly as fast as every 6 months, computers and cell phones are often discarded by improper disposal methods. Perhaps retail store and manufacturer awareness is just not there. Maybe if the consumers are told about the harmful toxins inside the devices they buy, they would be more incline to find an electronic recycler. Here are 3 of the more common hazardous materials that can be found in most common electrical IT devices.
|
 |
Lead
Lead is common in CRTs, batteries, PVC, and older solder. Lead has bluish white color when freshly cut, but tarnishes to dull grayish color when it is exposed to air and is shiny chrome silver when melted into a liquid. Lead is used in building construction, lead-acid batteries, bullets and shot, weights, and is part of solder, pewter, and fusible alloys. This true metal is highly resistant to corrosion, and because of this property, it is used to contain corrosive liquids (e.g. sulfuric acid). Because lead is very malleable and resistant to corrosion it is extensively used in building construction, e.g. external coverings of roofing joints. Lead can be toughened by adding a small amount of antimony or other metals to it. The point being that lead is used just about everywhere going unnoticed by most people today. You now know where lead is commonly used.
|
|
Mercury
Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, computer circuit boards, fluorescent tubes, laptops, auto parts, batteries, and other scientific measurement devices. Concerns about the element's toxicity have led to mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers being largely phased out in clinical environments in favor of alcohol-filled, digital, or thermistor-based instruments. Mercury remains in use in a number of other ways in scientific and scientific research applications, and in dental amalgam. Mercury is mostly obtained by reduction from the mineral cinnabar. Mercury can be emitted into a gas into the atmosphere affecting our climate. Here are some estimated numbers on where those gases come from.
|
|
 |
65% from stationary combustion, of which coal-fired power plants are the largest aggregate source (40% of U.S. mercury emissions in 1999). This includes power plants fueled with gas where the mercury has not been removed. Emissions from coal combustion are between one and two orders of magnitude higher than emissions from oil combustion, depending on the country. |
|
11% from gold production. The three largest point sources for mercury emissions in the U.S. are the three largest gold mines. |
|
6.8% from non-ferrous metal production, typically smelters. |
|
6.4% from cement production. |
|
3.0% from waste disposal, including municipal and hazardous waste, crematoria, and sewage sludge incineration. This is a significant underestimate due to limited information, and is likely to be off by a factor of two to five. |
|
3.0% from caustic soda production. |
|
1.4% from pig iron and steel production. |
|
1.1% from mercury production, mainly for batteries. |
|
2.0% from other sources. |
|
|
Cadmium
Cadmium is soft, bluish-white, transition metal,and is known to cause cancer in the lungs and liver and occurs with zinc ores. Cadmium is used largely in batteries and pigments, for example in plastic products. One of the sources of batteries is in cell phones where cadmium can be found. Cadmium can also be harmful to your skin if exposed for too long.
All of these elements are harmful to people, animals, and the environment in general. Do your part in recycling your computer equipment and electronic devices by contacting eCycling for further instructions on how to recycle.
|
|
|
Electronic Waste Recycling Act |
The Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 (EWRA) is a California law to reduce the use of certain hazardous substances in certain electronic equipment sold in the state of California. The act was signed into law September 2003. All CRT, LCD, and plasma display devices contained in televisions, computers, and other electronic equipment with a screen size over 4 inches (10 cm) measured diagonally are covered by the act. After January 1, 2007 these devices may not contain greater than the allowed concentrations of any of these four materials (by weight), which must be followed by manufacturers if they wish to sell their electronic products in California:
Cadimium: 0.01%
Hexavalent chromium: 0.1%
Lead: 0.1%
Mercury: 0.1%
|
|
| The act also defines the collection of the Electronic Waste Recycling Fee (effective January 1, 2005) upon purchase of covered devices and the distribution of payments to entities involved in electronic waste management. Their are only about 8 states in the United states that have programs and laws on electronic waste recycling. New Jersey is the most recent state to develop their Electronic Waste Recycling Act that will go in effect Jan. 1, 2009.
|
|
| More states need laws to help reduce the pollution of e-waste into our environment in which we live. Not only to control improper means of electronic equipment disposal, but controlling the amount of toxic materials used to create electronic devices. Would you want your child to play on a computer if you knew it had high concentrations of lead and mercury? The responsible parent would obviously answer no. Write your house representatives, senators, governors, and mayors to request laws to be established for electronic equipment disposal.
|
|
|
Electronics & Computer Recycling State Laws |
|
Every state has its own specifics to laws pertaining to electronic and computer recycling. Each statute goes into specifics on many points in fees and proper business procedures. Please review some of these laws below as they may apply to your state. Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in Arkansas: Law passed in 2007 imposes landfill disposal fees on compacted and uncompacted solid waste to support a computer and electronic equipment recycling program.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in California: Law passed in 2003 requires an Advance Recycling Fee of $6-$10 charged at the point of sale on video display devices.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in Connecticut: Law passed in 2007 requires manufacturers of TVs, laptops, desktops, and computer monitors to responsible for the costs of processing their branded products (and in certain cases orphans, as well) that are delivered to recyclers as of January 1, 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in Maine: Manufacturers of TVs and computer monitors are responsible for the costs of processing their branded products (and in certain cases orphans, as well) that are delivered to consolidators.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in Maryland: Manufacturers of more than 1000 video display devices (as of October 2007) per year must register with the state and pay an annual $5000 fee that is deposited in a fund for making grants for local collection programs. After October 2007, the initial registration fee for any new manufacturer is $10000. Manufacturers can reduce the annual fee to $500 by establishing an approved computer takeback program.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in Massachusetts: Regulation bans CRTs from disposal, incineration, or transfer for disposal, at a solid waste disposal facility since April 2000.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in Minnesota: Law passed in 2007 requires manufacturers of video display devices to recycle 60% of their market sales weight in 07-08, and 80% from July 2008 on. Ban of CRTs from mixed municipal solid waste passed separately and was effective as of July 2006.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in New Hampshire: Law signed in 2006 bans video display devices from NH landfills and incinerators as of July 1, 2007. Video display devices defined as a "visual display component of a television or a computer, whether separate or integrated with a computer central processing unit/box, and includes a cathode ray tube, liquid crystal display, gas plasma, digital light processing, or other image projection technology, greater than 4 inches when measured diagonally, and its case, interior wires, and circuitry."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in New Jersey: Producer responsibility law passed in January 2008 which requires manufacturers to pay a registration fee to the NJDEP and establish a collection, transportation and recycling system, either independently or jointly, for the recovery of computers and televisions. Fees generated will be used to fund the program and issue payments to authorized processors for the recycling of used electronic devices. Recycling programs must be implemented by January 1, 2010.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in New York City: Producer responsibility law passed in April 2008 which requires manufacturers to submit plans for collection, transportation and recycling of computers, monitors, printers and televisions. Recycling programs must be implemented by July 1, 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in North Carolina: Law passed in 2007 requires computer equipment (excludes TVs) manufacturers to develop and implement recycling plans as of January 2009. Manufacturers must fully cover the costs of processing discarded computer equipment received from discarded computer equipment collectors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in Oregon: Law passed in 2007 requires manufacturers of desktops, laptops, monitors, and TVs to participate in a recycling plan or pay a fee to the State Contractor program. Recycling programs begin on January 1, 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in Texas: Law passed in 2007 requires computer equipment (excludes TVs) manufacturers to develop and implement recycling plans as of January 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in Virginia: Law passed in 2007 requires computer equipment (excludes TVs) manufacturers to develop and implement recycling plans to be in effect as of July 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in Washington: Law signed in March 2006 requires producer responsibility as of January 1, 2009. Manufacturers of televisions, computer monitors, desktop and laptops computers, are required to join the standard plan or create an independent plan to manage their equivalent share of collected products.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in West Virginia: Producer Responsibility law signed on April 1, 2008 that applies to a manufacturer that manufactured an average of more than 1,000 covered electronic devices per year in the three-year period immediately preceding the initial registration. Manufacturers must register with the state no later than January 1, 2009 and pay a $10,000 initial registration fee if no take-back plan has been implemented or $3,000 if they have an implemented take-back plan. Each subsequent year requires a $5,000 registration fee for manufacturers without take-back programs and $500 for manufacturers with take-back programs implemented the prior year. All registration fees collected will be deposited into a special account in the State Treasury to be known as the Covered Electronic Device Takeback Fund. Expenditures from the fund shall be for recycling grants to counties and municipalities for recycling of electronic waste.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laws for Electronics & Computer Recycling in West Virginia: Producer Responsibility law signed on April 1, 2008 that applies to a manufacturer that manufactured an average of more than 1,000 covered electronic devices per year in the three-year period immediately preceding the initial registration. Manufacturers must register with the state no later than January 1, 2009 and pay a $10,000 initial registration fee if no take-back plan has been implemented or $3,000 if they have an implemented take-back plan. Each subsequent year requires a $5,000 registration fee for manufacturers without take-back programs and $500 for manufacturers with take-back programs implemented the prior year. All registration fees collected will be deposited into a special account in the State Treasury to be known as the Covered Electronic Device Takeback Fund. Expenditures from the fund shall be for recycling grants to counties and municipalities for recycling of electronic waste.
|
Federal - US EPA
In August 2005, EPA finalized the mercury-containing equipment component of the orginial proposed rule.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In July 2006, EPA has also finalized a regulation governing the waste management requirements for Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) that was originally proposed in 2002. The CRT rule became effective on 1/29/07.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Benefits of Computer Recycling & Computer Disposal |
|
Computer recycling is becoming popular as new technology is developed and proper disposal is mandated. Considering how many businesses in today’s society rely on computers as a main tool for their employees, the abundance of old computers can build up quickly. Would you chop down a tree if you knew there was a small little chipmunk family inside? In almost the same respect, there are toxic properties inside PC computers and can harm wildlife. There are plenty of benefits in computer equipment recycling. I will prove to you that you should take the time to properly recycle for computer quipment disposal.
|
|
Taking your part in saving our environment– This by far is the most important part of our computer recycling business. We don’t consider ourselves hippies in any fashion, but from time to time, we simply love sitting down having a picnic near a tree. If that tree was not there to give us shade from the sun, we could inevitably get some form of skin damage if we sat in the same place without the tree. Ok, I’m just being a bit silly. Seriously, if no one recycled anything, wildlife and our own surroundings would be polluted even more. Recycling reduces the amount of garbage burned, which turns into carbon dioxide and other harmful gases that go back into our atmosphere. The most important advice I can give, if you do not choose to use our computer recycle centers, please research one close in your area.
|
|
|
|
Making room for your business – Work computers are not exactly the size of a cell phone. Well the ones most employees use are either desktop PCs or laptops. Computers if not disposed of properly will just sit around your office collecting dust and will just plain look bad. Sending your computer to our recycle center is a valid solution in freeing up space in your offices.
|
|
|
|
Reducing the cost of goods – If you are familiar with some basic rules of supply and demand, the materials used to make a computer can be broken down and salvaged then sold to the appropriate buyer to reuse in the development of another device. This way all the original steps in finding those materials by mining or other means to get those materials cost are reduced. Reducing the cost of labor to make products gives manufacturers more leverage in setting lower pricings on goods. This is especially essential on high demand low supply materials used to make electronic devices. The process to recycle a computer is a bit complex, but we have the appropriate machinery in place to safely remove the toxic substances while obtaining the recyclable components.
|
|
|
|
Feeling good about yourself – Knowing that you are doing your part to save our environment should give you good feelings about yourself. Not only by knowing your recycled computers but recycling other common household products that are plastic and aluminum. Your local waste management company should have recycle bins available upon request.
|
|
|
|
In summary, we have learned that proper disposal of computers and electronic equipment helps aid in saving our environment, frees up workspace for your business, reduces the cost of goods, and all together, makes you feel good about yourself. Ecycling.com is here to answer any questions you may have on computer recycling.
|
|
|
|
How Can I Computer Recycle |
|
The easiest way in recycling old computers and inactive computers is to contact us at our computer recycling center. You will be transferred to a friendly support representative where he or she will take down your information to schedule a pickup of your equipment. It’s as easy as a phone call to get your PC or any other piece of electronic equipment that is taking up space in your location to our location. As industry leading computer recyclers, we will properly recycle any computer parts including recycling computer monitors, which require special steps to recycle. Please call us 1-877-432-9254 for instructions in the removal of any electronic waste at your location.
|
|
|
|
Products We Recycle |
| Personal Computers Desktop, Towers, Laptops and accessories |
Cell Phones, Telephone Handsets, Telephone Equipment |
Network Equipment, Hubs, Routers, Switches and modules |
| Servers and Components |
Cable boxes (analog, digital and satellite) |
Inkjet Printers, Scanners and All-in-One devices |
| Power Supplies |
Game consoles. Xbox, Nintendo, Playstation etc. |
Hard Drives, Floppy Drives, Tape Drives and Media |
| MP3 Players, Personal Digital Assistants |
Stereo Equipment, Amplifiers, Receivers, Transmitters |
Inkjet cartridges that are wrapped in leak proof bags |
| Cable, Wire Harnesses, Cable assemblies (copper and aluminum) |
Video Equipment, VCR's, CD Players, DVD Players, Projectors |
Circuit Boards, Intergraded Circuits, Semiconductors, CPU Chips |
|
|
Ecycling.com Data Security and Recycling Website Center |
Contact Ecycling.com today at 1-877-432-9254 to learn more about protecting your company, customer and the environment thru comprehensive programs deigned to solve problems relative to:
Data Security and Compliance
Environmentally Responsible Recycling
Asset Value Recovery
|
|
eCycling.com maintains an ever expanding Nationwide Network of eCycling and Asset Recovery Service Centers.
eCycling.com is a nationwide IT asset disposition and electronics recycling (eCycling) service provider. Our nationwide reach greatly reduces the risks of dealing with different vendors for different business locations. We protect your business by protecting the environment while insuring compliance with all environmental and privacy legislation, EPA, GLBA, HIPAA, Federal, State and local regulations; Nationwide.
eCycling.com is your one party solution for end of life electronics and computer recycling and certified destruction of obsolete electronics or recertification and resale of data sanitized components and systems. First, all data storage devices are identified and destroyed. Then the electronic device for disposal is inspected by our experienced eCycling personnel and separated by equipment to be destroyed and eCycled (certificates of destruction and video is available) and equipment to be refurbished, recertified and put back into service.
eCycling.com is an industry leader providing:
|
|
Risk Management |
|
Data Sanitization |
|
Environmental Responsibility and Compliance |
|
Privacy Compliance |
|
IT Asset Recovery |
|
IT Asset End of Life eCycling |
|
IT Asset Life Cycle Planning |
|
|
|
IT Asset Recovery - Asset Life Cycle Planning |
|
From computers to copiers to fax machines, all of these types of electronic equipment will meet an end-of-life point in their office journeys. Our eCyling experts can develop a business partnership with your company to ensure your old and broken computer equipment and electronic devices are properly recycled and disposed. Electronics Recycling is a very practical and responsible approach to promote ethical business practices within your organization.
|
|
|
Setting up an IT Asset Recovery Plan is as simple as giving us a call at 1-877-432-9254 and speaking with an eCycling asset recovery agent. The process is simple and easy; we will collect your information and develop a plan for the transportation of your electronic computer equipment to our recycling center. If you are an extremely large company and always have broken equipment that needs to be disposed, we can schedule a reoccurring day every month for pick up.
|
|
|
The best part to our asset recovery service is that you are helping save the environment from E-waste which contains toxic materials such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. Once you have joined our asset recovery program, don’t forget to tell colleges and friends in how you are contributing in saving the environment and poke at them so they join for themselves.
|
|
|
Cell Phone Recycling and Disposal |
|
We often wonder what happens to the vast amount of cell phones that are no longer used. Cell phones being very small often end up in your trash can instead of being recycled. Why? It seems to be convenient to just throw your cell phone out than find a reasonable place to recycle it. Ecycling.com offers cell phone recycling service as well as ecycling other types of electronics.
|
|
|
Did you know that just about everything in a Cell Phone can be recycled?
|
|
|
The following list are those cell phone parts that could be recycled if you make the effort to decide to recycle.
|
|
Display - Most often a LCD screen |
|
Printed Wiring Board - Inside your cell phone there is a green board with all sorts of strange looking components on it (similar to that of a computer board). |
|
Speaker and Microphone |
|
Antenna |
|
Battery and Adapter |
|
Case |
|
Keypad |
|
|
| There are even precious metals including silver or gold that could be inside you cell phone to make it work. You wouldn't just toss gold away would you? Obviously you would not, I hope. |
|
| Now consider how fast technology and fads change from day to day. Every week I seem to notice a new cell phone model ad on TV. Some people just buy cell phones to fit in with their friends as a status symbol. Now consider how many people in the United States do this. Cell phones are not a creation of nature. They are a creation of man to hold communication by means of a transmitting and receiving device with a satellite. Hence, they do not belong in the soil considering there are also toxins that can pollute the environment. |
|
| What can you do about the incorrect cell phone disposal problem? |
|
| Practicing correct cell phone disposal not only helps the place in which we live, but provides reusable materials to put back into more products you may purchase making those new products cheaper. |
|
|
|
PC Recycling Makes Sense |
|
As technology progresses, your computer is the fingerprint to advancements in technology. A computer PC is incredibly valuable for children learning in school, for doctors to research new medicines, and for businesses to keep information on their customers. Those are just a few examples in how a PC helps everyday people teach, learn, and conduct business. Now that your brain is focused on the importance of a computer, why would you throw away your old computer just because you bought a new computer? Your PC can be recycled for components inside it to be sold back to the manufacturers if in working condition. Even if your PC is broken, parts can still be salvaged and recycled. There are also harmful byproducts inside a computer that can harm the environment. It's not just your job and my job to ensure we are responsible by recycling. It is everyone's job! I am very passionate about recycling and its importance. Our planet only has so much room for garbage. Considering the number of people in the world and our consumption rates, one cannot even fathom how much trash there really is in the world.
|
|
|
By methods of correct computer disposal to any of our ecycling drop-off locations, you can help in our quest to eliminate the world's e-waste problem. "Going Green" seems to be very popular and is tagged just about everywhere on the Internet and on television. This is powerful evidence that the world is indeed pitching the very importance of saving our environment. Computer recycling is only a fraction of the electronic wastes problem, and the electronic waste problem is even a smaller fraction of all the environmental problems that exist today.
|
|
|
It will take motivation to decide if you want to be part of the solution and not the problem. Personally, I have already donated a couple computers to ecycling.com that were taking up space. It actually felt good to give my old computers to a company that will do good things with them instead of ending up in a landfill poisoning the ground.
|
|
|
In conclusion, PC recycling does indeed make sense. Now that you have been properly informed, you can recycle your old and broken computers to ecycling.com where you can make a difference.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
