When one hears about electronic recycling (e-waste recycling), what first comes to his or her mind? Well in this article we are going to be discussing some important and notable facts about electronic recycling.
Electronic recycling or electronic waste recycling refers to any electronic equipment that has been properly disposed of or re-purposed for further use.
Most of the time, if the electronic wastes are not sold then they are thrown away.
Electronic waste is dangerous due to some chemicals that normally come out from the metals when buried.
However, electronic wastes can be described as those electronic products that are unwanted, not working properly or at all, and nearing or at the end of their useful life.
Items such as television, computers, copiers, stereos, fax machines are everyday electronic products.
But most things have changed since then, most especially the number of electronics being disposed nowadays.
List of Common Electronic Waste Items
Here is a list of the common electronic waste items
(1) Microwave
(2) Home entertainment device
(3) Electric cooker
(4) Heaters
(5) Fans and many more items
Read Also: Waste Management Jobs – Tips to Get Started
Communication and Information Technology Electronic Devices
Below is the list of the popular communication and information technology electronic devices
1) Cell phones
2) Smartphones
3) Desktop computers
4) Computer monitors
5) Laptops
6) Circuit board
7) Hard drives and many more items
Home Entertainment Electronic Devices
Here is the list of some common home entertainment electronic devices
(1) Stereos
(2) Television
(3) Fax machine
(4) Video game system
(5) Copiers
(6) Printers
(7) DVDs and others
Electronic Utilities
Here is the list of some popular available electronic utilities
(1) Massage chairs
(2) Heating pads
(3) Remote control
(4) Television remotes
(5) Electrical cords
(6) Lamps
(7) Smart lights
(8) Night lights
(9) Treadmills
(10) Smartwatches
(11) Heart monitor and others
Read Also: Ways to Properly Dispose your Household Wastes
Electronic Waste Problems
The meaning or definition of electronic waste is likely to keep expanding.In this era of rapid technological advancement, more and more highly sophisticated electronic goods are produced and manufactured.
It is very easy to know how many electronic devices can now do everything from offer security to turning lights on and off to have fresh coffee ready before we wake up.
Now models arrive even as the current one appears to be working just fine.
Despite that, the latest version always provides additional features that make it seems too attractive or enticing to resist.
Now the technology inventories kept on creating electric devices to make our lives easier and more comfortable in every conceivable way.
The Danger of Electronic Waste
According to WHO (World Health Organization), health risks may result from direct contact with toxic items or materials that lick from electronic waste.
These materials may include lead, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame retardants.
Danger can come from inhalation of toxic fumes from the accumulation or absorption of chemicals in soil, food, and water.
It puts not only people in danger but also land and sea animals in developing countries, the risk is high because some already developed countries send their electronic wastes there.
According to research, this global electronic waste has serious effects on the people that work with the electronic waste but also the people that stay around it.
Therefore, a proper recycling process needs to be put in place to protect us and our future generations.
Read Also: How to Make Money from Plastic Recycling
Electronic Disposal Process
Since consumers will always keep buying new devices, it is therefore important to keep reinforcing that message that we need to recycle the older models and not throw them out.
There will be very high environmental risks if we send our electronics to a landfill.
The Electronic Recycling Process – Step by Step Guide
After the whole lot you’ve read, you might imagine the recycling system could be overwhelming, however with a committed recycling and disposal firm, it could be easier.
Below is a complete step-by-step process to recycle your electronic wastes.
Stage 1: Collection of Electronic Waste Products
This is the first and starting stage of the electronic recycling process. At this stage, all electronic waste products are collected and arranged for use.
After gathering the electronic waste products for recycling, you can lease a truck to move your waste to any electronics recycling near me/you for processing.
Stage 2: Electronic Waste Processing
Once you transport your electronic recycling waste materials to the recycling center, your electronic wastes would be sorted into split into hazardous and non-hazardous and data barring and non-data barring materials.
Your e-waste will then be designated to a specific engineer who will see to it that all your electronic waste equipment is labeled and registered using their model, serial number, unique asset number, consumer asset number, and specification.
Depending on the recycling center, those pieces of information obtained containing the customer asset report will be provided to you or uploaded right into a consumer asset report/document for further use.
Read Also: How to Recycle and Repurpose Plastic Items for Reuse
Stage 3: IT Recycling
When getting rid of IT gadgets/equipment, you’ll need to understand that the destruction and recycling procedures are stable for whole peace of mind.
To achieve that, the right recycling partner/recycling center will ensure that all of your hard drives are data erased and/or shredded and that all data (sensitive or otherwise) will be sanitized and/or destroyed in line with the most stringent industry standards.
Stage 4: The Final Product/Stage
If some of your provided electronic waste equipment can’t be re-marketed then they will be stripped down into their constituent parts (plastic, metals, minerals, etc.) and separated into various categories of electronic waste products which can or can’t be reused or recycled.
Also, any electronics recycling waste materials that can’t effectively be dismantled will be shredded into tiny pieces during the process and hazardous dust will be extracted and discarded in a way that does not harm the environment.
The remaining electronic materials will then be separated into metal, plastic, and other materials and reused, recycled, or disposed using the best and safest method.
A large part of complying with the UK waste hierarchy and also for some other countries in the world is by ensuring that items that can be reused are reused and not just scrapped.
This entire process using the best buy recycling can often generate more revenue for you which can either be used to offset retirement costs, utility bills, and lots more or be passed back as a positive return to you.
Therefore I encourage you to start gathering your electronic waste materials today, visit some electronic recycling near me and start generating revenue from your assumed electronic waste materials today.
Read Also: Water Business – Complete Beginners Guide