In this day and age, computers are a part of nearly everyone’s everyday lives. From gaming PCs and video game consoles to cell phones, TVs, and stereos, nearly everyone has multiple pieces of technology in their homes for vastly different purposes.
One of the downsides of owning such a large amount of technology is its tendency to become outdated very quickly. Even if you are not one to continually upgrade your computer parts or switch over to new audio equipment, you may go through your fair share of electronics in your lifetime.
What’s more, when you are done with old electronics and have upgraded to new ones, these early computers will likely just take up room in your home. Instead of hanging on to old pieces of technology that no longer have any use, bringing your electronics in for recycling is quick and straightforward, giving you the peace of mind of having done something better for both yourself as well as the planet.
There are a wide variety of reasons to properly recycle these types of technology. From reducing your footprint to ridding yourself of these items safely, computer recycling companies provide a highly necessary service in this age of technology. CJD E-cycling makes it easy to recycle your technology and help the environment. Reach out today, help the environment, and minimize your carbon footprint.
How Does E-Waste Hurt Us?
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is quickly becoming a national problem. Studies show that statistically, only 20% of electronics are recycled compared to the 80% that ends up in landfills.
This landfill dump can have lasting adverse effects on the planet, contributing to the presence of more hazardous waste, toxic materials, and effectively tossing raw materials that are still necessary for creating new technologies.
Throwing away electronics rather than retooling them contributes to the need to continually farm for more raw materials rather than simply reusing the materials already incorporated into this old technology.
When something is as convenient and straightforward as choosing to recycle computer parts, it seems the negatives of not doing so far outweigh the convenience of contributing to landfills.
Good for the Planet
This is one of the most apparent reasons to recycle computer parts, but it bears discussion. The fewer computers and electronics that are thrown into landfills, the less careless waste is created.
Due to the rapidly growing world of tech, already worrisome landfills would grow exponentially if they were made to hold the old electronics of the world’s population. These intricately involved machines contain a multitude of parts that will not break down for years to come.
This waste is some of the most easily avoided, provided consumers take just a few easy steps and choose to recycle computer parts rather than throw them away in the garbage.
There simply is no reason to throw these electronics away when they can be reused rather than sit in a landfill. However, there is another, more pressing reason to recycle computer parts rather than throw them into a landfill.
Properly Dispose of Hazardous Materials
Computers utilize a variety of materials that are not hazardous when properly utilized. However, throwing these materials into landfills contributes to a global humanitarian disaster.
In fact, computer recycling works to avoid what is defined as the single most hazardous material dump on the planet. Materials found in computers that are dumped into a landfill can easily infiltrate the soil and cause permanent damage to the earth.
Computers contain materials such as lithium, lead, and mercury – all extremely toxic, mainly when improperly disposed of with many other electronics. When improperly disposed of, this hazardous waste has the potential to harm our ecosystem significantly.
One of the leading causes of air pollution and extremely damaging to human health, e-cycling can actually provide a vital service in terms of helping to save the planet.
Instead, companies that recycle electronics can easily identify parts of your electronics that contain hazardous materials. At times, these parts may simply be reused in order to create another piece of technology, completely negating the need to dispose of these materials.
In other instances, when these parts cannot be salvaged, computer recyclers will work to ensure the materials are properly disposed of without causing harm to the environment.
Parts Can Be Reused
While your old box television was once thought of as a technological marvel, it is considered relatively useless today. However easy it is to forget that complex systems are incorporated into even the simplest of technology, it is essential to remember when it comes to e-cycling.
Many parts of even the most basic of computers can be reused or retooled into more effective versions of themselves, such as graphics and sound cards, DVD and CD drives, hard disks, and more.
These parts are more or less valuable to computer refurbishers who would gladly take them off your hands rather than see them end up in landfills.
Instead of letting old cell phones and boxy televisions pile up in a landfill somewhere, these parts can actually easily be used to create other electronics. As with plastic water bottles that can be reused, so too can even the crudest electronic systems.
E-Cycling Has a Great Effect on the Economy
Although your technology may be outdated now, it is likely that it cost you a fair chunk of change when you first purchased it. Oftentimes, computer recycling services will work to get your technology parts somewhere that they can be reused.
When utilized for refurbished electronics, the resulting product is a less expensive yet equally as effective version of said product.
This allows the market to be flooded with more affordable technology, such as refurbished game systems or televisions that sometimes cost hundreds of dollars less than their original counterparts.
In turn, this keeps the overall cost of electronics down. For example, when a refurbished game system costs roughly $100 less than the original model, it effectively drives the price of the original console down as more and more consumers choose to buy the just as effective and warranty protected refurbished system.
Computer Recycling Supports Your Community
Even better, these products may often be utilized to provide schools and educational programs with more affordable pieces of technology in order to streamline their learning processes.
The e-cycling process also helps provide cost-effective cell phones to low-income families, helping those who would not have otherwise been able to access cutting edge technology stay up to date with current technology.
In fact, not having at least a baseline, or a rudimentary form of technology can severely restrict someone in today’s society. With everything slowly becoming more and more digitized, someone without a cell phone or computer may find themselves unable to track local transportation, make doctor’s appointments, or provide contact information to potential employers.
E-cycling helps to make the technology necessary to live a fulfilled life in the 21st century accessible to everyone, and is of virtually no cost to the person doing the recycling.
E-Cycling Creates Local Jobs
When making the decision to recycle computer parts, you may not immediately think of this economic benefit. However, the larger the market is for e-cycling in your area, the higher the likelihood is that firms will look to employ more help to continue recycling.
With the vast amount of computer waste produced, large-scale operations will likely need a large number of employees.
Even if you may not think this has a direct impact on you, everyone benefits from increased economic stability, especially in their immediate area.
Free Up Some Space in Your Home
Most people have boxes and bags of outdated technology that they have been too afraid to get rid of. Without knowing how to dispose of the technology properly, or reluctance to part with an expertly curated collection of outdated cords, this technology often sits around in our homes.
Not only does this take up valuable storage space in your home, but it is also likely that these pieces of technology are taking up some valuable mental real estate.
As minimalist figureheads such as Marie Kondo have espoused, our mess and our clutter truly do impact our mental state. When you have a clutter of cords or old displays that you are not using, they’re taking up more room than necessary.
What’s more, it is likely that over time, you’ll be moving these pieces of technology from home to home without reason. In fact, likely, you will never touch most of your old technology ever again, especially when you have upgraded to new computers, televisions, and game systems.
While it is unlikely you will fetch a substantial monetary value by selling these electronics, choosing to recycle them will, in some cases, provide you with a tax break instead, giving you a financial incentive to do something good for both the economy and the planet.
Instead, computer recycling can be a great way to free yourself from the weight of too many clunky items weighing you down both physically and mentally.
It Might be Illegal Not To
In fact, in some cities such as New York, the chances are high that you’re either sitting on old technology taking up space or attempting to dump it illegally. While dumping your electronics in landfills isn’t illegal by federal law, over 26 states have effectively mandated electronics recycling.
Understanding the reasoning behind e-cycling, New York City has effectively banned the dumping of computer parts into the regular garbage. Those caught dumping their old technology into the trash are likely to face hefty fines and a guilty conscience.
Instead, making a move to recycle computer parts can give you the peace of mind that you are doing something good for the planet while avoiding possibly incriminating yourself.
Reduces Production of Raw Materials
When computers and electronic parts are reused, as they are almost constantly needed for a large variety of products, they help to save the planet in more ways than one. Because fewer new materials have to be created when they are reused, they help to conserve natural resources.
Statistically, the fewer raw materials that need to be farmed in order to create electronic resources, the less of a need there is to continually mine for raw materials.
Even when these products are not being recycled into new computers and new electronics, they can be used to create other important products. For example, the glass from computer monitors can be recycled into nearly any glass product, as can the plastic from televisions.
Companies that Recycle Computer Parts Do More Than Just Recycle
While these companies work to recycle computer parts as effectively as possible, naturally, not every component of your electronics is recyclable. However, these parts should still not end up in landfills somewhere as they remain detrimental to the environment, especially if they cannot break down.
Instead, companies that recycle computer parts know precisely how to dispose of these materials safely. By first separating these parts properly, these companies make sure to dispose of them accordingly.
For example, hazardous materials are passed off to companies that specialize in safely disposing of these chemicals. Other parts that cannot be recycled as-is are shredded down into smaller pieces and separated by material.
From there, they can either be used to recreate newer versions of their previous selves or be used in entirely new components altogether.
Either way, e-cycling companies know of the best way to dispose of even the materials that will not be recycled, rather than letting them pile up and do permanent harm to the planet.
Recycle Your Computer Parts With A Company That Cares
Not all computer recycling companies are created equally. Some only care about stripping useful materials from used electronics and selling them at a high price.
Instead, you’ll want to be sure you are bringing your old computers and electronics to a company that truly cares about their mission.
CJD E-Cycling is dedicated not only to the mission of recycling used electronics but to reducing waste and giving new life to otherwise used-up electronics. Give your old electronics and new life and make a profound impact on sustainability by properly recycling your old computer parts today.