Don’t Bin Your Electronic Equipment! Try E-Waste Recycling Instead
Do you bin your electronic devices when they’re broken? Or, do you toss them in the single-stream recycling, hoping the workers at the recycling centre will sort it out?
The bad news is that, when tossed into a landfill, electronic waste (known as e-waste) can cause severe damage to the environment. And e-waste thrown into single-stream recycling is unlikely to be recycled.
But the good news is that properly recycled e-waste can be a source of valuable materials, turning your electrical waste into an important part of the circular economy.
What is e-waste?
The term e-waste refers to unwanted electronic devices. We often think of e-waste as old cell phones and computers, but it could also be broken toasters and electric kettles. As our household devices become “smart” and join the ranks of the Internet of Things, even the most mundane gadget in your home could potentially be considered a device.
What’s so bad about e-waste?
When it’s disposed of improperly, e-waste has a devastating environmental impact. Many of these devices are made of toxic materials like lead and mercury, which will leach into the soil if they’re not removed from the electronic devices.
When toxic chemicals enter the soil, they destroy the local ecosystem from the microbial level up. Billions of microorganisms in the soil will die, causing knock-on effects to our soil health, water purity, and wellbeing.
Reclaiming raw materials and reducing mining
E-waste contains precious metals that can be reused if not sent to the landfill. Any waste materials containing electrical components should be recycled as e-waste to save their valuable metals.
Recycled metals can be used again as the raw materials needed to make new electronic devices. If these precious materials are not reclaimed, they’re wasted, and new materials will need to be mined to replace them.
E-waste statistics
The e-waste problem is global, with 62 million metric tonnes of waste generated in 2022. The problem has doubled since 2010, largely due to the explosion of mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic devices. As new models of electronic devices are released yearly, consumers often toss their old electronics in favour of new devices with better features.
E-waste is a growing problem in the UK, too. The UK produces more e-waste than any other country in the world except Norway, with the average UK household producing 23.9 kg of e-waste per person every year.
With the world on target to produce 80 million metric tons of e-waste by 2030, recycling facilities worldwide should make e-waste management a top priority.
E-waste solutions
Any of these methods can be used to responsibly manage the recoverable materials and toxic substances in e-waste.
Recycling e-waste
Thanks to advanced separation technologies, the UK’s recycling industry can reclaim valuable materials from recycled e-waste and dispose of other components responsibly.
You can recycle your electronic device at your area recycling centre. Just make sure they’re approved and certified for e-waste recycling.
Take-back schemes
Electronic products manufacturers must offer take-back schemes as part of the buying process. When you buy a new device, ask your vendor to take your used electronic devices for recycling.
Donations
Many charities in the UK accept donations of old devices. They’ll refurbish and resell the devices, keeping the proceeds to fund their charitable work. Contact your favourite charity to see if they accept device donations.
Legislation and Global Initiatives
The EU is working to reduce e-waste with a WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) Directive and Extended Producer Responsibility policies. These policies require producers of EEEs to offer take-back schemes to consumers, keep records of take-back scheme participation, include a “do not bin” symbol on their products, and other regulations to help used electronic devices find the right waste stream.
You can read more about those regulations here. And this link outlines the responsibilities of retailers and distributors of EEEs.
Recycle e-waste with The Waste Group
At The Waste Group, we make it easy to recycle electronics. With convenient locations and clean, organised facilities, we’re the hassle-free solution to e-waste recycling. Contact the team to learn more.