Electronic Recycling 101

What is e-waste: Electronic waste is anything with a plug or a circuit board (excluding major appliances and A/C units). The most commonly recycled items are computers, monitors, printers, TV’s, and small appliances.

Automotive Computers/Laptops/base materials Servers LCD and CRT Monitors Printers/Copiers Keyboards, mice, computer cords External hard drives Modems/network boxes Scanners APC/UPS Backup systems Flash drives, floppy drives, CDs Materials we collect Audio Video Equipment Car stereos GPS units Auto shop diagnostic equipment Car batteries Alternators and starters IT Equipment Televisions (CRT, LCD, LED, Plasma, Projection) Video Players (VHS, DVD, Beta, BluRay) Cable/DVR/Satellite boxes Stereo systems and speakers Game consoles, handheld games Telecommunication equipment Cell phones VHS tapes, DVDs, CDs, audio tapes MP3 players, boom boxes, walkmen Projectors, Overhead machines Appliances Microwave/toaster ovens Electric/Gas stoves Small kitchen appliances Washing machines and dryers Vacuum cleaners Hair dryers/curling irons Iron Electric lawnmower/weed eater

Batteries Medical Equipment (all fluids must be removed) Testing Equipment Transformers Capacitors Cameras and broadcasting equipment Typewriters User terminals Remote control or electronic toys Materials we collect cont. Lamps Metal or plastic patio furniture Metal bed frames Metal desks Metal shelving Misc. wiring Misc. scrap metal Misc. Electronics Fluorescent tubes U-Tubes CFL bulbs Non-electronic items Lithium ion (laptop/cell phone) Lithium ion (button) Lead Acid Ni-Cad Ni-Mh

Air conditioners Refrigerators Freezers Materials we cannot accept Other Some medical equipment Some testing equipment Manufacturing equipment Gas powered lawnmowers Gas powered scooters/carts Cooking oil or motor oil Items with Freon PCBs (some ballasts) Thermostats Oil based paints or primers Chemicals Pharmaceuticals Items with chemicals or coolants

Why is e-waste a problem? E-Waste is toxic and hazardous, containing lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, and arsenic. CRTs contain lbs of lead and account for 40% of all lead in landfills E-Waste accounts for 70% of heavy metals in landfills with potential contamination for soil and groundwater Incinerating computer plastics with brominated flame retardants generates toxic emissions

What is toxic in e-waste?

e-waste is a growing problem… e-waste volume is growing 3 times faster than all other waste streams 65 million PCs become obsolete every year in the US EPA estimate – 1.9 million tons of e-waste land-filled in US annually Over 500 million obsolete computers and TVs sitting in home closets, basements, and garages waiting to be recycled

How is e-waste being handled in Colorado? Per capita, Colorado has more electronic recyclers than most other states, but has a relatively low diversion rate Oversight of electronic recyclers is very limited In urban areas, consumers have multiple options to recycle electronics, most rural areas have none Federal law prohibits businesses, organizations, and public entities from disposing of toxic electronics. SB 133 will ban consumer e-waste from landfills starting July of 2013

Why ethical recycling offers the best solution Electronics are 95-98% recyclable Recycling creates green jobs Recycling reduces carbon footprint Recycling costs less per MTCO2 reduction than energy efficiency initiatives, weatherization measures, and wind power programs Recycling is a more efficient use of natural resources Newer electronics contain precious metals that are in scarce supply (i.e. selenium, indium, tellurium) Mining is very costly both environmentally and economically For Example: Today’s mines produce a gold concentration of about 10 grams per ton of mined material Reuse is often not an option Rapid advances in technology limit the market for used electronics Data security is often not ensured

How are electronics processed for recycling?