Smart home technology has come a long way from early microwaves and smoke detectors to the current smart home devices. From the revolutionary technology that is voice assistants to connected cars, smart homes are quickly becoming the norm. With various options available, it’s easy to see why homeowners have so many options now, such as Alexa. The first thing to understand about smart homes is that they don’t just consist of a house with smart home devices inside it. There’s so much more to it than that. They’re all about automating your day-to-day life and making your life easier by giving you more control over your home.

The Basics of Smart Home Devices

The smart home has primarily impacted our day-to-day lives in this current technological era. Whether it’s changing the way we schedule our days, or even catching you up on some news before you get home, AI assistants can help us in various ways. Smart home devices definitely have their uses, but they have their drawbacks as well.

Internet of Things (IoT) devices have been around for years, and the technology is still evolving. Devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, among others, have become common household objects for functions like light control. These devices can now do more than play music or read out your calendar appointments — they can do temperature control, door control, and all kinds of other tasks.

They can be integrated into your smart home and provide voice control over your appliances. With the introduction of AI assistants in our homes, we now have a new way to interact with our lives that can help us decide what we want to do while also integrating seamlessly into our daily routines.

What Materials Make Up Your Smart Home?

Smart homes are becoming more and more common in our society. This has led to a rise in demand for materials that can be used for smart homes. Materials such as wood, stainless steel, and plastic are among the most popular.

Materials such as these provide benefits like durability and ease of use, making them a popular choice for smart homes. However, they also have their downsides. For example, wood is a natural material, which means it requires maintenance to ensure that it stays looking good over time. Smart homes, by definition, also contain lots of electronics — Alexa and other IoT gadgets for various functions, including door control, are some examples.

The Benefits of Smart Home Devices

Smart home devices and materials are becoming a part of our everyday life, with people relying on automatic or wireless light control. These resources can help you improve your lifestyle by saving energy and simplifying tasks such as cooking, cleaning, temperature control, and home security.

Wireless smart light control, switches, and touch screens are perfect regulator interfaces in situations where you don’t want to break into walls for cable runs. Wireless lighting is often used for remodeling projects since it is less expensive than upgrading a wired system.

Smart home devices companies provide a new approach to bring intelligence to your home’s lighting and temperature control. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages, and closets, for example, are great for regions of the house that aren’t used as often as principal rooms. They provide you the freedom to create a uniform lighting system across your home.

Smart home devices enable you to switch on or off the whole house when you leave or arrive, quickly start a playlist in every room, receive notifications when unlocked doors demand your attention, and enjoy automatic light control, so you never return home to a dark house anymore.

The Drawbacks of Smart Home Devices

Smart homes are becoming an increasingly popular trend in the market. These homes are typically equipped with smart appliances and smart technology that makes them more convenient for their owners. However, the increased popularity of this trend has also led to some negative consequences. One of these consequences is using materials to make electronic devices for light control and other smart home devices, which is the challenge of depleting limited natural resources. Other downsides such as being environmentally unfriendly and difficult to recycle are increasingly picking up speed.

When and How Do You Recycle Smart Devices?

You probably have a container filled with functional smart-home devices that have become unusable due to the manufacturers’ failure to update their firmware. You can’t stand throwing them out in a landfill, but you are unsure how to recycle them. You are not alone; smart home devices’ garbage, sometimes known as e-waste, has grown considerably more prevalent in recent years.

Contact Recycling Programs

Information technology and door control devices are the biggest and fastest-growing industries on the planet. As people become more reliant on technology, they generate enormous amounts of electronic garbage (e-waste), necessitating the development of an efficient management solution for this kind of waste. New and improved smart home devices are introduced every day, rendering older equipment unhelpful, antiquated, and obsolete. Individuals dispose of obsolete equipment without reluctance to get the most up-to-date versions of the technology, including light control.

A good first step is often checking with the company that made your smart home devices. Here are the programs some of those manufacturers offer for recycling their products at the end of their usefulness:

• Dell and HP collaborated with recycling facilities to improve the recycling of their gadgets.
• Huawei has developed a worldwide device recycling program and expanded its product trade-in service. Huawei recycled more than 4,500 tons of smart device e-waste via its dedicated recycling plants in 2020.
• You may be eligible for an Apple gift card if your iPad, iPhone, Mac, or Apple Watch is in good working condition. Even if it’s broken, the Apple Trade-In program allows you to recycle it for free.
• Kindles, Alexa devices, and other Amazon-branded gadgets may be recycled for free via an Amazon-partnered third-party recycling program. Amazon also has a Trade-In program you might be eligible for.

You might also be able to find a local e-waste recycling center. If you live in the St. Louis area, you should check out CJD E-Cycling. We take a wide variety of devices at the end of their life cycle. If you have any questions about whether we can take your smart home devices, feel free to contact us.

Recycling Smart Home Devices

Some people thing smart home devices for light control or door control are a waste of resources and a potential health hazard. They contain hazardous materials that can cause harm to the environment and human health. If you have any electronics such as Alexa that you no longer use or need, it is important to recycle them instead of throwing them away.

This will help reduce the amount of electronic waste globally and save resources. Electronic waste from temperature control devices is a huge problem we’re facing today. This waste includes old cell phones, laptops, and light control devices. There are many reasons why this waste is so prevalent. One reason is that it is easy to dispose of something by throwing it away and not thinking about the consequences.

The other reason for the increased amount of electronic waste is that people are becoming more and more dependent on their devices as they use them more often for work, entertainment, and communication. We should be looking at ways to recycle electronics such as automatic light control tech instead of just throwing them away. This will reduce our carbon footprint and save resources for future generations.

The environmental impact of smart home devices is a rapidly growing concern. However, not all devices are made with the environment in mind. For instance, many of today’s homes have only one or two smart home devices because they are often costly and complicated to replace. This is where recycling comes in. It’s essential to think about how you can reduce the environmental impact of your home door control electronics while minimizing cost.

For a variety of reasons, e-waste recycling is a critical worldwide problem. It has a significant impact on our immediate surroundings as people, as well as life on Earth in general. It even offers substantial economic benefits to individuals, communities, and even countries.

Four Benefits of Recycling E-Waste

1. To protect the environment.

E-waste recycling may help keep various hazardous products out of landfills, including door control products. When fluorescent tubes and lamps are discarded in landfills, poisonous mercury may leak into rivers. However, when lighting is recycled, the mercury is collected and safely reused in items like dental amalgam. Batteries, including lead, mercury, or cadmium, are no exception.

2. Save Landfill Space

A rising amount of door control electronic garbage is dumped in landfills every year. This issue is not just common in the United States, but it is rapidly expanding over the globe. Putting e-waste in landfills causes a slew of environmental problems.

3. Save Natural Resources

Mining metals necessitates plenty of difficulties and work. Aside from mining, the cost of refining metals and converting them to valuable forms is also relatively high. The requirement to produce and refine raw metals is reduced due to the extraction and salvage of metal from outdated smart home devices, including temperature control.

Aluminum and copper wires and other components of electrical gadgets may be reused several times. Little to no material is wasted by repurposing them in other electrical gadgets. As a result, the requirement to mine, extract and produce additional metal decreases.

4. Create New Business and Employment Opportunities

The existing e-waste collection and recycling issues provide considerable potential for cutting-edge research and development and novel business models for long-term solutions. Proprietors have created micro-factories that smash e-waste and remove its valuable components. They are then warmed in a tiny furnace. Its revolutionary and portable design makes transporting it to the garbage site inexpensive and straightforward, making e-waste recycling considerably more affordable and accessible for door control systems.

E-Waste Recycling Process

Step 1: Back Up

Begin by backing up your device’s and any memory cards’ data. This usually entails uploading your images, contacts, and other personal information to the cloud or a home PC.

Step 2: Collection

Smart home devices may be collected through recycling bins, drop-off sites, take-back programs, or on-demand processing systems. After that, the mixed e-waste is sent to specialist electronics recyclers.

Step 3: Storage and Manual Sorting

Different gadgets are segregated for their processing during manual sorting. Some devices may also be physically deconstructed for components, repurposing, or the extraction of precious elements at this point.

Step 4: Mechanical Separation

The mechanical segregation of various materials comprises multiple operations that are carried out one after the other. Magnetic isolation and water separation are the two most important phases.

How to Inspire Adoption of E-Waste Recycling Practices

1. Design Better Products

Manufacturers of smart home devices, including door control machines, must create safer, more robust, salvageable, and biodegradable devices to decrease e-waste. Above all, this entails the use of less harmful materials.

2. Extended Producer Responsibility

Extended producer responsibility mandates that manufacturers be accountable for the management and disposal of their goods at the end of their useful life. The concept is to recycle waste resources and create new goods.

3. Better Recycling

India and China are exploring methods to merge the informal and official recycling systems to decrease health and environmental risks while retaining the informal recycling system that sustains many people. One method provides financial incentives to informal recyclers who transfer e-waste, including door control, to professional collection or recycling sites. They may, for example, be paid more to transport cathode-ray tube screens to a formal collecting center than they would be paid to dismantle them by hand.

4. Engage Smart Tools

Using tools that can monitor your sustainable habits can provide you with recycling statistics and track your reuse activities. Before you can utilize one of these Alexa Skills, you’ll need to know the weight in grams of each item you’re recycling. This talent will then inform you how much energy you saved and what you might do with it, such as operating a light bulb for 30 minutes or a table fan for three hours. It will also keep track of your overall recycling quantity.

The post Recycling Smart Home Devices appeared first on CJD E-Cycling.

Old TVs can take up a huge amount of space in your home. If they’re big and bulky, you only have so many spots where you can store them. When it comes time to upgrade, you don’t want to waste precious storage space on a defunct TV. You’ll definitely be looking for television disposal options in your area, seeking out someone who takes old TVs. Since you’re desperate to get rid of the junk, you might think there’s nobody who takes old TVs — you don’t want them, so why would anybody else?

Turns out, a lot of people take old TVs. Granted, you’ll have to find the right people, but you should have plenty of options for television disposal. There are some steps you’ll have to take to find those people. We’ll help you with the preliminary ones in this post. First, you’ll need to understand enough about the market for old TVs that you can identify people who might want your reject monitor to actually use. If your TV doesn’t work, though, you’ll have to skip that step and go straight to the more traditional television disposal methods. We’ve got important information about how to do that right (and wrong) toward the end of this post. No matter how you’re going to get rid of your old TV, you’ll need to know what kind of TV it is to accurately assess your options. We’ll help you with that in a later section. 

All that said, let’s get started. First, let’s jump into why people want to get rid of old TVs in the first place.

The Problem with CRTs

Why so many people are in search of television disposal shouldn’t be hard to figure out. You can pretty much get the gist of it just from looking at them. A CRT TV is insanely heavy — the bigger ones can weigh as much as 160 pounds. That means they also take up a lot more space in people’s homes. If you have to have a really deep table to put your TV on, that’s going to limit your decorating possibilities. That weight and heft is also going to make it harder to move things around, making them further unappealing. 

Plus, this technology is dangerous to produce and properly get rid of. That’s one of the reasons why television disposal services are specialized and you shouldn’t just leave your old TV out at the curb. That danger comes from the components of the CRTs. CRT stands for cathode ray tubes, and those are tricky to handle properly. These sorts of TVs also contain a whole lot of lead, which we know can be dangerous.

With all these problems, it might be hard to imagine finding someone who takes old TVs. Never fear. In addition to television disposal services, there are actually a lot of people who are on the hunt for a specific kind of old TV and would be more than happy to take them off your hands. You might even be able to sell your old TV for a pretty good price if you know who your market is. Let’s get into more specifics on who takes old TVs in the next section.

The Modern Demand for CRTs

So, who are all these people clamoring for the type of TV you’ve had gathering dust in your basement for the past ten years or more? Most of them are nostalgic gamers. Believe it or not, the old CRTs actually have their benefits. Some people who like to play video games from the ‘90s and ‘00s prefer the picture quality of old CRTs to modern screens. Many of them would be distraught to hear that you’re searching for television disposal options for your classic CRT.

If you can find one who takes old TVs, then they’ll be happy to explain the minutiae of why a classic game can only be properly enjoyed on the TV you were set to take to the dump. We’ll endeavor to just get you the basics here. It has to do with how the picture was constructed on these old TVs. There are horizontal lines of resolution all across the screen of a CRT. Most of them have 240 of these lines total. These are created by an electron gun shooting electrodes at the inside of the screen while a piece of metal blocks certain parts. The phosphors that aren’t blocked get lit up a pixel at a time and create the image on the screen. 

Since vintage video games were created for this type of resolution, many argue that they look and perform better on a CRT monitor instead of a modern flat screen.

How to Tell if it’s a CRT

All that demand sounds pretty good if you’re looking for someone who takes old TVs. But before you can start advertising your old monitor, you’re going to have to know if it actually is a CRT. There are some pretty easy ways to tell; they’re not exactly subtle.

First, you’re going to want to consider the general size and shape of the TV. CRTs are visually very different from flat screens because of the way they jut out in the back. If the TV is very deep with a lot going on behind the scenes, then it’s likely a CRT. 

If you’re still not sure, you can perform a little test. The screens on CRT and modern LCD TVs are pretty different, so take a gentle tap on the screen of your monitor. Was there any give to the screen? Or was the glass completely unforgiving? CRTs have that hard, unyielding glass, whereas the screens of more modern TVs have a bit of bend to them.

Another way to tell is simply by figuring out when you bought the TV. If you got it new after 2010, it’s almost assuredly not a CRT. They were mostly phased out in the mid-’00s. You can still find someone who takes old TVs that aren’t CRTs, but you’ll probably need a television disposal service. There’s not much nostalgia for LCD screens.

Who takes old TVs, CRT or otherwise?

If you can’t find a gamer who’s dying to take a CRT off your hands, or if you’ve just got a defunct flatscreen from 2011 or something, then you’re going to need to find a different kind of television disposal service.

Who you can find to take your TV is going to depend on the functionality of your old TV. An electronics recycler is someone who takes old TVs, but you might want to try other options before you get to that point. If your TV still works, there might be a charity or other organization nearby that would benefit from a TV. Think schools, libraries, or other places that might have a use for technology but not much funding for it. There’s always Goodwill, too. You can always call and ask if there’s someone who takes old TVs. Going to an organization before just junking your old television is a great way to make sure that it’s getting all the use it possibly can before you dispose of it.

When donating to an organization that needs a TV isn’t possible, then you should turn to electronics recycling. Check to see what their rules are about recycling CRTs before you load up the car — since they’re so cumbersome and potentially dangerous, electronics recycling centers will often charge a fee to recycle a CRT TV. However, there are also often recycling events that will take CRTs off your hands for free. Inquire with your local electronics recycling facility. 

What does the television disposal process look like?

When recycling CRT monitors, the television disposal process is fairly complex. Facilities have to manually take the shell of the TV off in order to expose the cathode ray tubes before they can even think about any other television disposal steps. Then, they can access the tubes, panel glass, electron gun, wiring, and electronic chip boards. They separate each of those components. Separating the different types of materials helps make the recycling process smoother. Each type of material has a different recycling process.

Inside that glass tube is a vacuum seal, which is one of the reasons a recycler who takes old TVs needs to be extra cautious. If they don’t do their job right, the tube might implode. They usually have specialized equipment take the tubes apart to avoid catastrophe. Then, potentially hazardous materials in the tubes, like phosphorus, have to be removed before they can recycle the glass.

Once the recycler who takes old TVs has gotten all that done, the different components are treated pretty much exactly like any other electronic waste. They usually get shredded. Then, all the different metals like iron, steel, aluminum, and copper can get separated out through various methods. Magnets can be an effective tool at this stage. The rest is mostly glass. If it’s leaded, it might go on to make new screens, or the recycler might send it to a smelter so the lead can be used in other applications. Batteries are a popular option. Whatever the next life of your old TV is, all the different elements are refined at another plant and then sold to a manufacturer. So, when you choose recycling, television disposal isn’t really disposal at all. It’s giving the components of your old TV a new life.

Don’t just put them out at the curb.

It’s important to keep old TVs out of landfills because they can contain some dangerous materials. We don’t want all that lead and other chemicals getting into our environment. That’s why it’s important to find someone who takes old TVs and disposes of them properly. If your idea of television disposal starts and ends with the dump, then you need to expand your options. 

Check the recycling laws where you live. Some states have more restrictive regulations than others, but lots of places have protections in place to prevent potential toxins from getting into our air and water. That means it might be illegal to put your TV out for the trash — remember all that lead in a CRT? You don’t want that getting out into the environment, whether it’s legal or not, so it’s especially important to make sure you’re disposing of the old equipment responsibly. 

We know setting a heavy, unwieldy TV out at the curb seems like the simplest option, but it’s not the best one. We’ve laid out a pretty solid case for several other forms of television disposal, and we hope you’ll at least consider them. 

Now you know who takes old TVs.

Before you started this piece, you might have thought that your old TV was just junk that nobody in their right mind would take if you paid them. Now, you know there’s a sizable second-hand market out there for CRT TVs. You’ve got the tools to identify that type of television if you come across it, and you know who to look for to take it off your hands. You might even make a little money off it if you play your cards right!

There might also be places in your community that would benefit from an extra TV, even if they’re not the latest technology. We discussed contacting schools, libraries, and similar institutions to see if they’d be interested in getting a new screen, and that’s definitely an option for television disposal that gives the device a new life. You might not get any money, but you’ll get the satisfaction of helping out.

If selling or donating your TV isn’t an option, now you also know that you can look into electronics recycling services as a form of television disposal. You’re also well aware of what happens to a TV once you drop it off at an electronics recycling center.

The bottom line is, finding someone who takes old TVs isn’t that hard when you know where to look. Now you’ve got the knowledge to go out there and get rid of your old TV in the right way.

The post “Who Takes Old TVs?” And Other Questions About TV Disposal appeared first on CJD E-Cycling.

Solar power has been exploding in popularity in recent years. These days, when people think about how to dispose of electronics, solar panels need to be factored in. They’re touted for their sustainability, but to be truly earth-friendly, they need to be responsibly recycled at the end of their usefulness. That’s where solar panel recycling comes in. It’s the logical way to make sure solar panels are as sustainable as possible. 

As we continue to move toward more renewable energy sources, solar panel recycling will only become more important. Solar power hasn’t been widespread for all that long, and as such, there aren’t too many panels that have reached the end of their lives and need to be properly disposed of. But that’s a problem that will continue to grow as solar panels become more and more popular.

Here, our goal is to dive into how solar panel recycling works. We’ll get into all the steps in the process, the challenges it faces, and every other aspect of those sorts of programs. Let’s jump right in.

How do solar panels work?

Before we can describe how to dispose of electronics like solar panels when they stop working, we need to understand how they work in the first place and what happens when they break down over time. 

Ever heard of photovoltaics? It’s a scary-looking word, but we promise you’re probably more familiar with it than you think, and there’s nothing to be afraid of. Photovoltaics, or PV, is just one of the most popular solar power technologies. It’s used in most solar panels. The PV cells in a solar panel take the energy from sunshine and create electrical charges with it. An electrical field within the PV cell causes those charges to move, and that’s how electricity starts to flow. 

Those PV cells are linked together in larger units — that’s how you get whole panels out of single cells, since each cell only produces 1 or 2 watts on their own. If there’s a large power need, the panels can also be connected, and then they’re attached to the electrical grid. Solar power can be modified to suit small residential needs or large community ones because of this modular setup.

That’s a super simplified explanation of solar panel technology, but it’s a good jumping off point for everything to follow. You can’t know how to dispose of electronics without knowing how they work and what they’re made of.

Why do we have to replace solar panels?

Now that we have a baseline knowledge of PV cells and how they generate electricity, we can look into how they degrade and fail over time, leading to the necessity of solar panel recycling.

The reasons solar panels fail can mostly be chalked up to regular wear and tear. Like anything that sits outside for decades, they’re going to take something of a beating. Due to weather conditions and other factors, they can degrade as much as 3 percent every year, producing less and less electricity over time. There are other things that can cause problems, though. One of them is potential induced degradation, which happens when those different parts of the same solar power system are at different voltage potentials. That can lead to electrical current leaking, and that messes with the sodium ions in the glass.

We’re simplifying things, but that’s the gist of it. Solar panel recycling is necessary because different environmental factors mean that the panels break down over time and stop producing as much electricity. When that time comes, you’ll need to know how to dispose of electronics.

How long does a solar panel last?

Solar panel recycling is only necessary when the solar panels quit generating power, so it makes sense to start with how long they last before that recycling process is necessary. Solar panels generally last between 20 and 30 years, but that’s just a rule of thumb. You’ll need to monitor the electricity output to be sure of when your solar panels actually need replacing. It could be longer than that 30-year benchmark, especially if they’re high-quality panels. Don’t make the mistake of solar panel recycling too early and missing out on some useful years of solar power. You don’t need to know how to dispose of electronics if they’re still working, and the same thing goes for solar panels.

Like we said in the last section, environmental factors are going to be the main determinants of how long a solar panel lasts. For example, couple harsh winters with snow melting and refreezing on the frame of a panel can bend it, causing failures and degradation. 

Why is solar panel recycling important?

If you have solar panels, you’re probably already fully convinced of the importance of renewable resources, so you probably don’t have too many qualms about recycling. In fact, we’d venture a guess that you don’t need us to convince you of solar panel recycling’s importance, and you’re probably already very aware of how to dispose of electronics responsibly. Even still, solar panel recycling is going to grow exponentially in importance in the next few decades. We’d like to give you some sense of the scope of that growth.

The International Renewable Energy Agency expects “large amounts of annual waste” from defunct solar panels by the early 2030s. By 2050, the US could have as much as 10 million tonnes of solar panel waste. If the recyclable raw materials from solar panel waste worldwide in that same time period is fully utilized, it could be worth as much as $15 billion. That’s a big incentive to make solar panel recycling as accessible as possible. 

What are the steps in solar panel recycling?

Solar panel recycling is similar to any other recycling process. First, the solar panels need to be collected at the recycling center. Since solar panel recycling isn’t all that widespread yet, you might have a little difficulty finding a recycling facility, depending on where you live. Definitely check with electronics recycling companies in your area about if they take solar panels, and if not, you can ask if they know of any other centers that do. They’re experts in how to dispose of electronics, so they should be able to answer any questions you have that we miss.

After collection, the different components need to be separated out and sorted. Solar panels can be silicon based or thin-film based. Both can be recycled; they just have a slightly different makeup of materials. Solar panel recycling usually takes one of two forms: Mechanical recycling or chemical/thermal recycling.

Mechanical Recycling

This form of solar panel recycling physically separates out the different components of the solar panel. The aluminum framing can be removed, and then the rest is sometimes ground up into a composite mixture called glass cullet. Builders can utilize this material in some projects. More advanced mechanical recyclers can separate out the wiring and silicon using special machines, but on the whole, this sort of process isn’t very precise.

Chemical Recycling

Rather than separating out a solar panel’s different components mechanically, this sort of procedure uses chemical processes to sort things out. This occurs at the molecular level, so it’s definitely a lot more complex and precise than the mechanical separation process.

Refurbishing

There is one more way to make use of solar panels once they’ve exceeded their initial lifetime. For some purposes, refurbishing old, suboptimal solar panels makes a lot of sense. That way, you never even have to worry about how to dispose of electronics, you just reuse them. The problem, though, is that they aren’t going to generate enough power for heavy use. If you just need a solar panel to power a road sign or something simple like that, though, refurbishing instead of recycling might be the way to go.

Where can I go to recycle solar panels?

In the U.S. today, most solar panel recycling happens at general glass recycling centers. However, this isn’t the ideal place to recycle your solar panels. This is because they’re specifically glass recyclers, and solar panels contain a lot of other materials. They’ll sometimes also recycle the metal frames, but they mostly discard any components that aren’t glass. That’s a shame because there are lots of other recyclable elements to solar panels — plastic and aluminum components can definitely be utilized again. Sometimes, solar panels are considered hazardous waste and have to be disposed of that way. These aren’t great options.

The good news is that there are growing opportunities to make sure no parts of any solar panels get dumped in a landfill. The only hard part is finding them. You can start by reaching out to the company that initially made your solar panels. Lots of them have recycling programs in place for their products, and even if they don’t, they might be able to point you in the right direction.

You can also check with electronics recyclers in your area. They already know how to dispose of electronics in an environmentally friendly way, so they might also be able to recycle your solar panels. 

What difficulties are there in the solar panel recycling process?

One is simple accessibility. If there’s not a place equipped for solar panel recycling in your area, then you’re not going to be able to take advantage of those programs. A compounding factor here is that not all electronics recycling companies will accept solar panels. They know how to dispose of electronics like TVs and microwaves, but they’re not equipped to handle solar panels. The lack of readily available solar panel recyclers is definitely one of the top difficulties in the process.

Then there’s the issue of publicity. How many people are aware that solar panels can and should be recycled? Probably a lot less than those who know to look for a recycling can for their soda cans and water bottles. As our current solar power infrastructure ages, it’ll be important to educate everyone on the benefits of solar panel recycling.

The other difficulties aren’t as obvious. Recall that solar panels are made up of a lot of different components. You’ve got glass, plastic, and metal, which are all easily recyclable on their own, but the hard part is separating out those materials. Having the capabilities to recycle each element in its own way is not attainable for many recyclers, even if they’re aware of how to dispose of electronics. 

Another hurdle to keep in mind is the silicon solar cells within solar panels. They’re not recyclable in the same way that the glass or metal is. To reuse the silicon and metals within them, a specialty company needs to melt them down and harvest the individual materials. That’s not something most recyclers are equipped to do. 

Knowing how to dispose of electronics needs to include solar panel recycling.

Solar power is more than just an excellent Lorde album. It’s one of the growing sources of sustainable energy in the world today. As such, solar panel recycling is going to become a big concern in the coming years. 

As our current solar power infrastructure ages and new technology is developed, it’ll be increasingly important to know how to dispose of electronics like these in an environmentally 

conscious way. It’s not enough just to focus on recycling electronics like computers and TVs — bigger, newer, more complex items need to be properly disposed of, too. That includes solar panels.

There are various ways of accomplishing this important task. We detailed the different methods of how to dispose of electronics like these: Mechanical, chemical, and refurbishing. We also went over how to find a place that offers these services in your area, and we talked briefly about the kinds of problems they face when working out how to reuse your defunct solar panels. 

This is a rapidly growing industry that’s going to need real solutions in the near future. Hopefully, now you’re confident you know how to dispose of electronics like solar panels when the time comes.

The post Solar Panel Recycling 101 appeared first on CJD E-Cycling.

At this point, we probably shouldn’t have to tell you that we’re big fans of recycling. We’ve been so enthusiastic about the benefits of recycling e-waste that you’re probably well aware of most of the big ones by now. Plus, recycling is kind of a general no-brainer these days. Most of us have heard plenty about the benefits of reducing the amount of waste we generate, and many people have been conscientious recyclers for years, if not decades.

All the same, we’ve put together even more reasons why you should be just as excited about computer scrap e-waste recycling as we are. In fact, we rounded up seven top benefits of recycling e-waste to persuade you that it’s the right way to go.

The following points are all the reasons why we think you should gather up all the electronic junk gathering dust in your life and drop it off at your nearest electronics recycling center. The benefits of recycling e-waste are wide-ranging and far-reaching, covering both local perks and worldwide pluses. Hopefully you can find at least one that will motivate you to recycle your electronic waste.

1. Help the environment.

We’ve already spoken at length about the environmental benefits of recycling e-waste, and for good reason. This is the top motivator for recycling e-waste for a lot of people and organizations. When you look at how damaging the alternative can be to the environment, it’s easy to see why. We’ll keep this section fairly brief for your sake, but let’s dive into a few specifics.

Reuse resources.

Many of the components used to make electronics have to be mined. That’s not a very environmentally friendly process on its own. Now, add to it the fact that these are finite resources, and the necessity of computer scrap e-waste recycling becomes quite clear. There will come a point where there simply isn’t any tin or copper left to mine. Recycled electronics are a great way to get these resources — for example, you can recover as much as 35,274 pounds of copper from every million smart phones recycled.

Reusing these resources not only preserves the existing ones still left to mine, but it also uses less energy. It’s far more efficient to repurpose those existing materials instead of extracting new ones.

Plus, not all resources recovered from dead electronics are used to create new ones. They can find new life in other types of products. For example, the plastic from smart phones can be used to make new lawn furniture. The metal can also be transfused into car parts. 

Some resources are more prevalent in electronics than others, and the market’s needs are always changing, but it’s definitely safe to say that reusing materials from existing electronics is definitely one of the major environmental benefits of recycling e-waste. 

Reduce pollution.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that if you’re not partaking in computer scrap e-waste recycling, you’re letting it sit in a landfill for virtually forever. What might be more surprising, however, is how many toxic chemicals a lot of e-waste contains. Lead is very common in electronics — CRT monitors, for example, can have literal pounds of it. You don’t want any of those types of harmful substances getting into our air or water supply. Keeping electronics out of landfills is one key way to do just that.

It’s also important to point out that to have the best environmental benefits of recycling e-waste, you need to donate your items to a reputable center. Some computer scrap e-waste recycling centers will ship your items overseas where they’re not disposed of properly. To get at the valuable metals within the components, they’ll sometimes burn up the plastic, which releases really harmful toxins into the atmosphere. There are also human costs to these kinds of unethical practices. Many overseas electronics recycling centers have their workers disassemble the devices by hand, and those workers sometimes include children. 

This all means that it’s important to do you due diligence for a lot of reasons, both ethical and environmental. If you’re really motivated by reducing pollution, you can definitely find a recycling center that gets the job done the right way.

2. Declutter your home.

If you’re in need of more self-centered benefits of recycling e-waste, we’ve got a great one for you. Most of us have some kind of drawer or cabinet or disorganized pile of old electronics. It’s ugly, it’s annoying, and it takes up valuable space. One of the big benefits of recycling e-waste is that it gets all those annoying cords and screens out of your way, freeing up space for different junk. 

Sure, this isn’t one of the benefits of e-waste recycling that’s going to change the world. Cleaning up and organizing your space isn’t something that’s revolutionary, but it’s a definite plus for many people seeking out computer scrap e-waste recycling. Especially for those who live in small spaces, having extra, unusable items around your home is nothing but a nuisance. If you can’t use your electronics anymore, the best place for them is an e-recycling center. Computer scrap e-waste recycling is a great way to reclaim your junk drawer.

3. Help those in need.

These sorts of programs aren’t computer scrap e-waste recycling in the most traditional sense. However, they’re still valuable ways to give old electronics a new life. Some e-waste recycling centers will try to refurbish or repair the devices they receive before scrapping them entirely, and if the electronics can be salvaged, they’ll donate them to classrooms or other programs that are in desperate need of electronic devices.

The “digital divide” is growing more and more steep. Especially with the recent need for online schooling, students need more access to these types of devices than ever before. Plus, many jobs require digital-based skills of some sort. It’s vital to get electronics in the hands of people who need them most.

Since these opportunities are less obvious forms of computer scrap e-waste recycling, this might be one of the least-known benefits of recycling e-waste. Now you know, and hopefully, you’ll use this knowledge to pay it forward.

4. Comply with the law.

Okay, so this one is less of a benefit and more of a requirement. But it still stands — one of the biggest benefits of recycling e-waste is that you’ll stay on the right side of the law in many places. 

The specific requirements when it comes to computer scrap e-waste recycling and other forms of e-cycling vary from state to state. However, there’s a good chance that some form of electronic recycling is mandated where you live. Many states have banned certain electrical components from trash cans, requiring that they be properly recycled instead. Some specifically restrict the ways businesses and other large organizations dispose of their electronic waste. This is largely due to all the other benefits of recycling e-waste on this list, especially the environmental concerns. Governments that recognize how harmful electronic waste can be in landfills have taken measures to keep them out.

Check with your local or state government to be sure of the laws in your neck of the woods, and make sure to recycle your e-waste according to those guidelines. 

5. Earn a little extra cash.

Some e-recycling centers will offer you money for specific kinds of e-waste. Others will charge you to haul away certain difficult items, like CRT TVs. And you might not earn anything at all, other than the other benefits of recycling e-waste that we’ve outlined here. 

Nonetheless, you might get lucky and discover a recycling center that will pay you for computer scrap e-waste recycling. You won’t make a lot, but if you can pile up a bunch of electronic junk, you might make enough to make it worth your while. There are a lot of valuable materials tangled up in those computer elements, and some facilities will pay for them. Manufacturers often use copper, gold, and other valuable metals to make computers and other electronics. So, check to see if any compensation is available at your e-recycling center of choice.

6. Lower the cost of goods.

This is one of the benefits of recycling e-waste that goes along with a lot of the other ones we’ve listed here. Because recycling reduces the need for mining new materials, that lowers the cost of goods. Using recycled materials is cheaper than mining them in a lot of cases. Increasing computer scrap e-waste recycling in large quantities would help this come to pass at an even faster rate. You’re not going to have too much of an impact on the worldwide market on your own. However, if we all commit to computer scrap e-waste recycling and recycling as many of our outdated gadgets as we can, then we’re going to have a huge, positive effect on making electronics more affordable.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that these savings would be passed onto the consumer, but that’s a different can of worms. It stands that computer scrap e-waste recycling makes it cheaper to produce electronics, and that can only be a benefit of recycling e-waste.

7. Keep your data safe.

You probably aren’t thinking about all the personal data stored on your old computers that you don’t use anymore, but you probably should be. It’s important to destroy detay properly for security reasons. Reputable e-waste recycling centers will best know how to do that. It’s one of the lesser-known benefits of recycling e-waste. Not only will you be getting rid of a device that you no longer need, but you’ll also be ensuring the security of your personal data. 

Computer scrap e-waste recycling can scrub your data from the device in a variety of ways, some more effective than others. Don’t think that simply deleting your data is enough — it’s still there, even if you can’t easily access it. A factory reset might be all you need to do, but there are more thorough ways of permanently getting rid of your data. This is especially important in the business world. You don’t want proprietary company secrets getting into the hands of a bad actor.

As such, you need to make sure the facility is going to properly get rid of all your data, and you should do what you can before dropping your computer off for recycling. If you’re interested in all the different ways an e-waste recycling center can destroy your data for good, you can read our previous blog post about it here.

Cash in on the benefits of recycling e-waste.

Now you know how much you and the world can benefit from computer scrap e-waste recycling. Some benefits are personal to you, like getting rid of extra clutter around your house or earning a little extra cash on the side. You’ll also be ensuring that none of your private data falls into the wrong hands. 

Other benefits of recycling e-waste are more global in scope. By responsibly disposing of your unwanted electronics, you won’t contribute to more mining of the materials made to create them, which can, in turn, make those new electronics cheaper to build. What’s more, you’ll be keeping harmful chemicals out of landfills. Some programs will even refurbish and donate your old devices, meaning they can serve someone less fortunate if they’re no longer serving you.

Obviously, we’re big computer scrap e-waste recycling advocates. But you should also do what you can to keep your computers for as long as possible. If you take good care of it and make sure it’s got all the features you need when you buy it, it should last a good, long time. And this goes for other devices, too. Charge your phone according to the manufacturer’s guidelines, and do what you can to resist the temptation of buying a new phone every year. That way, you’ll reduce the materials required to make electronics.

Whatever way you choose to extend the life of your computer or phone or any other electronic you’ve got laying around, now you know exactly what’s in it for you. Happy recycling!

The post The Top 7 Benefits of Recycling E-Waste appeared first on CJD E-Cycling.

One of the largest industries in the world is scrap metal recycling. Recycling copper wire or any other copper scrap is part of the restore, renew, and recycle culture that is a fast-growing practice in most communities. Like with every kind of recycling, there is a procedure you need to follow when planning to recycle copper scrap.

You cannot just pack it all up in a bundle and drop it off at your nearest copper recycling center. You will need to know the different available scrap metals before you embark on copper recycling. This knowledge is essential as it will help you understand how to separate your metals. Do some research and learn how to differentiate metals if you do not have that knowledge.

Recycling ensures that products that would otherwise be thrown away and left to go to waste are repurposed. It is essential to recycle to avoid a lot of waste being dumped in landfills, prevent pollution, and reduce the demand for raw materials. Recycling is environmentally friendly, and it increases economic security. Therefore, if you have any copper scrap, find the nearest copper recycling center and have them recycle your copper waste. A considerable percentage of the copper being used today has been repurposed and recycled. This is good for the environment and the economy.

There are different kinds of copper, and they are categorized as either copper cable or copper metal. Copper recycling does not alter the quality of the metal. Listed below are some of the different kinds of copper scrap.

• Bare bright copper
• No. 1 copper
• No. 2 copper
• Sheet copper
• Insulated copper No. 1
• Insulated copper No. 2
• Miscellaneous computer wire
• Low-grade wire
• Alternator
• Starters
• Sealed units
• Ballasts
• Transformers

Different Scrap Copper Types

If you plan on copper recycling, you need to find the nearest copper recycling center and inquire about what copper scrap they accept — not all facilities accept all types. When you take in your copper scrap, how much you are paid is dependent on the copper’s grade. Different grades have different pricing points. So, to get an accurate quote, ensure that you have grouped your copper into the different types.

You should note that different copper recycling centers price the scrap differently. Therefore, the prices may vary. If you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your old copper, you could check all the nearest copper recycling centers and compare the prices. To get a better idea of what you might bring to those facilities, listed below are some scrap copper types.

Bare Bright Copper

Bare bright copper is the most valuable type of scrap copper. The bare bright copper wire is solid and clean. If the copper wire ever had rubber, plastic, or insulation attached to it, they have been long since removed. There are no signs of oils or heavy oxidation on the wire. It would be best if you separated it from any other copper you may have. You will make more money at a copper recycling center when you take the bare bright copper wire for recycling.

No. 1 Copper

No. 1 copper is similar to the bare bright copper wire. It is clean of any impurities such as plastic, steel, tin, solder, or brass fittings. Copper tubing that’s usually used for electrical systems, cooling systems in radiators, and plumbing fixtures is often this type of copper. No. 1 copper tubing should be kept separate from other copper scraps that have different materials attached.

If you have roofing copper that is clean of paint or tar and has not been applied, it can also be considered No. 1 copper. 

No. 2 Copper

Once you have sorted out your No. 1 copper, you need to look at what is left — pieces that have heavy oxidation, brass fittings, solder, or paint attached. This is what you separate as No. 2 copper. The price of your No. 2 copper is below that of No. 1 copper.

Copper pipes that may have been used with chemicals or contain oil residue may also be categorized as No. 2 copper. However, they are usually separately sorted and often take longer to process due to the high impurities attached to them.

Some pieces of copper that would otherwise be considered No. 2, like a pipe with a joint soldered on, can be cut into pieces so that one piece is pure No. 1 copper and the other piece containing the impurity is No. 2 copper. Plumbers and contractors can make a lot of money out of leftover copper piping from plumbing fixtures, provided they know how to cut the solder and brass fittings off the copper tubing end. 

Insulated Copper Wire and Cable

There are various types of insulated copper wire and cable. They can be found in multiple places, including computer appliances, cars, and homes. Oftentimes, you can recycle insulated wire without stripping it first, since recycling centers have special machines for this purpose. If instead you choose to strip the wire yourself to get a better price, make sure to be careful and do it as safely as possible. There is a No. 1 insulated wire and a No. 2 insulated wire.

No. 1 insulated wire often covers uncoated, unalloyed, untinned, and clean copper wires. The insulation usually does not need to be stripped when giving them up for copper wire recycling, but you should always check with your local copper recycling center for more specific requirements regarding gauge thickness and insulation type.

No. 2 insulated wire is made up of unalloyed copper wires smaller than 16 gage with a copper recovery rate of 55 to 69 percent. Electronic wirings and extension cords often fall under this category. No. 2 insulated wires often have nickel and tin coating. 

Copper Wire Recycling

Copper wire recycling is an essential component of copper recycling. You may have a copper wire lying around in your house, and you think it has no use or value. On the contrary, it has monetary value to you. As mentioned earlier, copper ore is scarce, so more people must embrace copper reprocessing. You can monetize the copper wires in your home that you find useless through copper wire recycling. Find the nearest copper reprocessing center, and drop off your copper wires to take advantage of this opportunity.

In the same vein, don’t throw away any materials with copper in the trash. They will most likely end up at a landfill, which is not suitable for the environment. Instead of adding to all the waste in landfills, you can ensure that you make the environment better by embracing copper wiring recycling. If the potential earnings don’t sway you to gather up your old wires and drop them off at your nearest copper recycling center, hopefully the environmental argument will. Get in touch with the nearest copper reprocessing center and let them know you would like more information about recycling with them. They will be more than happy to help. Listed are tips on copper wire recycling.

• Copper wires are often found inside insulated cables, and if you don’t feel comfortable stripping the insulation yourself, the nearest copper recycling center you contact will have special machinery to do it for you.
• If you choose to strip the insulated cables, leave them out in the sun for a few hours. This ensures that the insulation softens as it is warmed, which makes your work easier.
• Make sure you have the right tools to do the job if you decide to do it yourself. A knife might do the job, but it’s not safe. Wearing gloves is a good idea any time you’re working with wire.

You might be all in on copper wire recycling, but before you start a big wire stripping project, make sure the wire is worth all the trouble. Larger wires are better for copper wire recycling, since they have more copper in their center, and they are easier to strip. However, this does not mean that you should ignore smaller wires for copper wire recycling. Don’t waste your time striping the smaller wires, but do set them apart. They are still viable for copper wire recycling. Below are examples of the different copper wires.

• 500+ MCM cabling is typically used in heavy-duty electricity transport. It is relatively easy to strip and is more likely to bring you money.
• 250 to 500 MCM cabling is also fairly easy to strip since it is relatively thick. However, you need to ensure that it is not aluminum.
• A spaghetti wire is the type you are most probably familiar with — they’re found in the majority of electrical components. This type of wire is smaller, making it more cumbersome to strip compared to larger wires, so you can give it up for copper wire recycling as it is.

Before you start stripping wires, contact the nearest copper reprocessing center and inquire about copper wire recycling. Ask about how they price the wires, how insulation might affect the price, and any other questions you might have about copper wire recycling. If they do not pay or you are not going to get much money out of it, you can still find comfort that you are making the environment a better place.

Importance of Copper Recycling

Copper is one of the most valued metals in the scrap metal industry. As mentioned earlier, copper can be found in everyday things such as your bathroom’s piping, car’s engine, and the electric wiring in your house. This wide variety of common uses means that copper is always in high demand, but obtaining raw copper ore through mining is an expensive and cumbersome process that’s not particularly environmentally friendly. Therefore, copper recycling is more cost-effective, energy-saving, and also environmentally conscious. Discussed below are two main benefits of copper recycling.

Economic Importance of Copper Recycling

As previously noted, copper reprocessing ensures an increase in economic security. Copper mining is quite costly, so it makes more financial sense to recycle it. The perks of recycling copper are that it degrades very little in value, and the extra cost that would have been used to mine it in its natural form is saved. When this process is effectively utilized, tons of copper can be repurposed. Most of the recycled copper scrap comes from consumer scraps such as plumbing tubes, radiators, and electrical cables.

On a smaller scale, recycling any old copper wiring you have laying around can put a little extra money in your pocket, and that’s always welcome.

Environmental Importance of Copper Recycling

Copper reprocessing has significant benefits to the environment, including the conservation of natural resources, saving energy that would have been used in processing raw copper, and solid waste diversion.

Processing raw copper requires a lot of energy compared to the energy used in copper reprocessing. Copper is a non-renewable resource in terms of conservation. Initiatives to recycle electronics cover the increasing electrical product production rate that requires copper.

As addressed above, it is essential to join the recycling movement to help better our planet. Copper is quite durable, and while the copper wires in your home may not be serving you in any way, they could be of great use if you dropped them off for copper wire recycling. They can be repurposed and reused for other essential functions.

You also need to ensure that you give the copper to an organization or dealer that is reliable. Do some digging and contact a local recycling team to inquire about whether they recycle copper. Make sure to ask plenty of questions about pricing, sorting, and anything else you’re curious about.

If you need more information about copper wire recycling, contact the nearest copper reprocessing center, and they will give you all the information you need. Do your research and choose to recycle every day to ensure you are doing your part in keeping the environment safe. And in copper’s case, you might even get a little bonus spending money on top of your environmental good deed.

The post What to Bring to Your Nearest Copper Recycling Center appeared first on CJD E-Cycling.

History of Copper

The use of copper dates back more than 10,000 years. The question of can you recycle copper was answered during the early days when the discovery was made that no degradation occurs during recycling. Both recycling businesses and collectors value scrap metal. The only metal capable of conducting electricity better than copper is silver. The attributes of copper have ensured it is one of the most valuable metals in the industry.

Copper was first used in roughly 87000 BC. In 8000 BC, copper became a viable replacement for stone. Egyptians began heating and shaping copper in 4000 BC. As technology improved, the discovery of smelting ores was the very beginning of the Bronze Age. Ancient Romans used copper from Cypress in the Mediterranean. During this time, copper was referred to as Cyprus, or the metal of Cyprus. Eventually, copper was called coprum, which means copper in English.

Recycling copper is an excellent way to save energy, and help the environment. You can recycle almost any metal. Copper accounts for 34.6 percent of the solid waste currently recycled. Due to the urgency of recycling copper throughout the world, you may be wondering can you recycle copper?

Why is Recycling Copper Difficult?

There are several different answers to the question, why is recycling copper difficult? The most common answer is the complexity of the recycling process. There are numerous important steps for copper recycling. Once you understand how the process works, you may realize the importance of your recycling efforts. The process begins when you begin gathering copper scraps and items containing copper at home.

Once your scrap copper has been collected, the next step is sorting the copper. There are different machines used for copper recycling including the copper granulator and copper stripping machine. The correct machine for processing is dependent on the type of copper such as single wires and copper cables. The copper is then sent to a smelting facility for melting.

The copper is heated in a furnace until the metal becomes molten, then formed into the items required. Once the copper has hardened, a machine is used for rolling the metal into smooth sheets. This is the beginning of making new materials. Another answer to why is recycling copper difficult is the process requires training and experience to be performed correctly.

Recycled copper does not lose its basic characteristics such as strength and malleability. This means the recycled product is as good as new copper. Copper recycling is an important resource for numerous countries, but the process begins with consumers and businesses understanding the importance of recycling.

Environmental and Economic Importance of Copper Recycling

Copper recycling offers significant benefits to the environment including the reduction in energy required for processing, conserving natural resources, and decreasing the amount of solid waste sent to landfills. In regards to recycling copper, the following statistics must be considered.

• 85 to 90 percent less energy is required for recycling copper than new processing.
• As a resource, copper is non-renewable.
• The known copper reserves in the United States are about 1.6 billion metric tons.
• 12 percent of all copper reserves have already been consumed.
• 90 percent of the production of domestic copper comes from just 20 mines.
• Copper in the United States is mined in Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.

Another answer to the question of why is recycling copper difficult is the environmental challenges. As the production of electrical products increases, low recycling rates result due to the confusion regarding how much energy is actually required. You may realize copper recycling efforts are gaining momentum because people are learning recycling is kinder to the environment than mining, and processing copper ore.

Approximately eight percent of the copper used throughout the world is produced in the United States. The number one producer of copper is Chile. Roughly 50 percent of all copper currently produced in the United States is derived from recycled copper. A little more than 50 percent of recycled copper is derived from machine and chip turnings. The rest comes from electrical cables, plumbing tubes, and radiators.

Copper Grades

Prior to understanding the value of recycled copper, you need to know the different grades. These grades directly correlate to the value. You can learn more about the different grades and markets here.

Bare Bright Copper

Bare Bright Copper is the most valuable grade. The name is derived from the bright and bare appearance. Copper wiring in this category must be a minimum of 16 gauge. You may have heard this grade called Bright and Shiny Copper. This grade must not be mixed or combined with any other metal including zinc or tin. To qualify, the copper must not have any tarnish.

#1 Copper

#1 Copper is the second most valuable. This grade must be unalloyed and clean. The difference is clean copper tubing is included in #1 Copper. The tubing must not have any materials decreasing the quality of the metal, paint, solder marks or insulation. Even if your copper tubing has minimal oxidation, it can be classified as #1 Copper provided there is no corrosion.

#2 Copper

#2 Copper is the third most valuable for copper recycling. This type of copper is generally dirtier than the other two grades. Copper with various imperfections, solder marks, and paint still qualify. The copper can have a higher oxidation level than #1 Copper. Most of the copper obtained from businesses for copper recycling is #2 Copper. This grade is different from the ones above because copper fittings and ends are included.

#1 Insulated Wire

#1 Insulated Wire is the fourth most valuable for copper recycling. This grade includes all clean copper cables and wires a minimum of 16 gauge. Your copper must be in fairly good condition, unalloyed and clean. You do not have to remove the insulation to qualify for this grade. Doing so is recommended to qualify as Bare Bright Copper. This will increase the price you receive for your copper recycling.

#2 Insulated Wire

#2 Insulated Wire is the fifth, and last grade for copper recycling. This grade includes a mixture of copper with plastic insulation and unalloyed copper wire. If your copper wires are not a minimum of 16 gauge, your copper will not qualify as #2 Insulated Wire. The difference is, you can recycle copper coated with other metals such as tin or nickel provided your coating is not extreme.

Every copper recycling center has slightly different specifications. The final answer to the question of why is recycling copper difficult is the confusion regarding which types of copper qualify for each grade. When asking can you recycle copper, despite the answer being yes, you must consider the different grade.

Benefits of Copper Recycling

Copper is 100 percent recyclable with numerous benefits. The top three benefits are defined below.

• Copper recycling decreases the cost of landfills. When your copper is not recycled, it takes up space in landfills.
• Copper recycling decreases the energy necessary to produce copper by up to 85 percent. Copper is finite, meaning recycling conserves copper ore.
• The more copper you recycle the more you protect the environment by decreasing the need for refining and mining copper. Mining requires energy, fossil fuels and time. Refining copper releases toxic gases including dust and sulphur dioxide into the environment. To learn more about recycling copper scraps, visit Your text to link….

Most Common Questions Regarding Copper

Q: Can You Recycle Copper?

A: The answer is a definite yes.

Q: Why is Recycling Copper Preferable to Extracting?

A: Recycling copper is less expensive than mining and extracting. Only 15 percent of the energy required to mine and extract copper is necessary to recycle a ton of copper. You can help conserve the copper supply available, while decreasing emissions of carbon dioxide by recycling.

Q: Is There a Shortage of Copper?

A: Although there is currently no shortage of copper, the demand is consistently increasing. Unless technology enables economic copper mining, there is a possibility of a copper shortage in the future.

Q: Where is the Most Copper Mined?

A: The majority of copper comes from open-pit mines located in Chile, New Mexico and Utah. Chile is responsible for exporting almost 33 percent of the copper used worldwide. Copper is also obtained in Peru and Indonesia.

Q: What Happens After Copper is Recycled?

A: Old materials made from copper are melted down prior to being formed into new products.

Q: Is There A Lot of Copper Remaining?

A: There are approximately 5.8 trillion pounds of copper known throughout the world. Throughout history, 12 percent or 0.7 trillion pounds have already been mined. Due to the high rate of copper recycling, the majority of this copper is still in use.

Q: Can Copper be Recycled More Than Once?

A: Since copper can be recycled an infinite number of times, the answer is yes. Many experts believe some pennies contain copper dating back to the Egyptian pharaohs. This is the reason copper is referred to as the most reusable resource on the planet.

Copper Fun Facts

Fact 1

The first metal ever worked by humans was copper in addition to meteoritic iron and gold. These are among the few existing in a natural state. This means a fairly pure form of the metal was obtainable through nature. Copper has been used for over 10,000 years. An ax was made in 3300 BCE for Otzi the Iceman.

When the ax was found, the head was made of almost pure copper. High levels of arsenic were detected in the hair of the iceman. This may be an indication he was directly involved with the process of smelting copper.

Fact 2

Alloys are formed with copper and other metals. The two you may have heard about are bronze created with tin and copper, or brass created with zine and copper. There are currently hundreds of copper alloys in existence.

Fact 3

The metallic-reddish coloring of copper is unique. The only other metal listed on the periodic table as a non-silvery metal is gold. When copper is added to gold, the result is rose gold or red gold.

Fact 4

Copper is used as a natural antibacterial agent. Brass is often used for door handles located in public buildings to help prevent the transmission of disease. Copper is not toxic for invertebrates, which is the reason shop hulls often contain copper for preventing algae, and the attachment of barnacles and mussels.

Fact 5

The three most common metals for industrial use are iron, aluminum and copper. Approximately 60 percent of all copper is used for wiring, electronics, cookware, plumbing, building construction, coins, and various other products. You most likely believe chlorine is what makes hair in swimming pools turn green, but it is actually copper.

Fact 6

Simple binary compounds are easily formed with copper. These compounds have just two elements including copper chloride, copper sulfide and copper oxide.

Fact 7

Copper is essential for human nutrition. The majority of water supplies and foods contain this critical mineral for the formation of blood cells. The foods with the highest amount of copper include grains, beans, leafy greens and potatoes. You would have to ingest a tremendous amount of copper to receive too much. This can cause anemia, jaundice and diarrhea.

Fact 8

Copper contains many of the characteristics, and properties of desirable transition metals. Copper is a great conductor of electricity and heat, is soft, ductile and malleable and resists corrosion. Eventually, copper will oxidize, resulting in the formation of copper oxide. This oxidation is why the Statue of Liberty is green as opposed to an orangish-red.

Fact 9

Almost 80 percent of all copper mined throughout history is still being used. The metal is 100 percent recyclable. The copper located in the crust of the Earth has a concentration composed of 50 parts per million.

Fact 10

The two most common states of copper oxidation have their own properties. You can tell the difference by heating the ion in a flame to observe the emission spectrum colors. The flame from Copper II is green, while Copper I results in a blue flame.

The post A Comprehensive Guide To Copper Recycling appeared first on CJD E-Cycling.

Why do we recycle computers? It’s a question that deserves an answer. It’s a question that has many good answers, too. Recycling, in general, can be a wonderful thing. The many diverse advantages of recycling include but are not limited to the following:

• Minimizing the degree of waste that gets taken to incinerators and landfills alike
• Conserving precious energy
• Safeguarding natural resources including minerals, H20, and timber.
• Keeping pollution at bay through minimizing raw mineral gathering requirements considerably
• Decreasing carbon emissions that can affect the environment
• Establishing new positions for job seekers

There’s no disputing that recycling paper and plastic is beneficial. But they aren’t the only things that you should be recycling. It can be a terrific idea to recycle electronic goods, like computers. Why do we recycle computers all over the world? Answers to that question cover electronic scrap prices and a host of similar and pertinent topics.

Why Do We Recycle Computers: The Advantages

Don’t assume that the advantages of computer recycling are few and far between. There are many positive advantages to breathing new life into your tired and broken electronic devices, believe it or not. There are plentiful local online resources that can help you figure out where to sell computer scrap pieces. Figuring out where to sell computer scrap pieces can get your recycling efforts off to a promising start.

Here are some of the biggest advantages of recycling old computers:

Saving Resources That Are Natural

Computer recycling is another way to save the earth’s natural resources. You should resist the temptation to simply dispose of your computer. Recycle it, instead. If you make the choice to recycle, you can restrict the number of supplies that are necessary to manufacture fresh electronic goods. Older computers are equipped with an abundance of parts that manufacturers can use in the future. That’s precisely why disposing of them can be highly wasteful. Monitors have glass and plastic that can come in handy for the construction of new devices.

Doing Good Deeds in the Neighborhood

People recycle many older computers that are actually still in pretty good condition. Looking after computers can keep them in rock-solid shape for many years. If you recycle a computer that’s relatively reliable, then you may be doing the people in your neighborhood a favor. Professionals can restore old computers. Once they do that, they can donate them to nearby charity groups, educational institutions, and libraries. Computers that are used can even be helpful to households that do not have much money. Computer recycling and donation activities can give people in your area access to technology that may have been out of reach for them otherwise. Computer access can open young children up to the thrilling possibilities of education.

Making Way for Job Openings in Your Area

Recycling electronic devices can actually help people who are on the lookout for jobs. There are many computers that aren’t suitable fits for restoration work. People often bring these kinds of computers to the nearest electronic recycling facilities. If many people make the decision to do this, it can be a boon to the economy. It can pave the way for the demand for people to work for the previously mentioned electronic recycling processing facilities. If you love the idea of helping people who are searching high and low for career openings, then you may want to recycle any electronic devices that you have no plans to use again.

Helping the Environment and the Planet

There’s no arguing that human beings only have one planet. That’s exactly why we should do anything in our capacity to keep it safe from destruction. If you take the time to recycle an old computer, then the environment and the planet may benefit from your kind gesture. 

Waste that comes from older electronic devices can do a number on the planet. Don’t forget that significant amounts of waste emerge all of the time. People throw electronic waste into landfills everywhere without thinking twice about it. This waste slowly but surely gives off detrimental toxins, too. People who want to breathe in air that’s pure and clean often have many complaints that relate to these unpleasant and persistent emissions. Pollution is no laughing matter. 

Electronic waste items that linger inside of landfills can give off all kinds of chemicals that are categorized as “toxic.” They frequently emit lead and mercury. Lead and mercury both are infamous for wreaking havoc onto the environment. Their chemicals blend with groundwater. This combination can bring on substantial H20 quality deterioration. There are detrimental chemicals that combine with the air. This type of air pollution can pose a problem to the environment and to human beings in general. People who want to do their parts to keep their fellow human beings safe and comfortable frequently make the decision to recycle computers they no longer use or need.

Health Advantages

Why do we recycle computers? People frequently do so for health purposes. Thoughtlessly getting rid of computers can bring on the emission of detrimental toxins. Putting these toxins into the environment can be a huge mistake. It can negatively affect health in humans and animals of all sorts. Organisms can soak up these toxins via water. They can take them in through the air that surrounds them as well. Lead and mercury aren’t the only two danger factors, either. There are various others. Lead can interfere with the development of the brain. It’s poisonous to the reproductive system, the nervous system and even the kidneys.

Mercury is in no way beneficial for human health. It can be destructive to fetuses that are still in their mothers’ wombs. It can bring on significant damage that involves the kidney and the brain, too.

Plastic burning isn’t the most innocuous thing. It’s a process that can give off cadmium. Cadmium is a pale metal that can wreak havoc onto the human body. It can hurt the kidneys. It can even weaken bones over time.

Beryllium, last but not least, is another metal. It’s accessible inside of both motherboards and connectors. It’s a chemical that’s hazardous to human health. People often refer to it as being a carcinogen.

There are countless humans who have to live beside landfills. That’s the reason that minimizing the waste that’s associated with old computers can be helpful. Doing so can protect these people from all kinds of medical risks.

Keeping Misuse of Resources at Bay

Electronic waste is in most cases delivered to third world countries. These countries often give manufacturers access to cheap labor. Electronic waste can be problematic for employees who have no option but to handle it. That’s because they have to deal with the detrimental toxins that are associated with electronic waste items. If you recycle your old and unwanted computer in the right manner, then you can help safeguard employees in distant nations from the dangers of chemicals that come from electronic waste.

Electronic Scrap Prices and Other Factors

Electronic scrap prices often differ. If you want to learn all about electronic scrap prices, then you should reach out to the team members who represent CJD E-Cycling. CJD E-Cycling’s representatives can talk to you about electronic scrap prices. If you want to know where to sell computer scrap pieces, then your best bet is to reach to the professionals who are behind CJD E-Cycling. Electronic scrap prices always depend on the individual item. If you’re researching where to sell computer scrap items, you should look into places that buy things beyond just full devices. Look for places that regularly buy wires for computers, hard drives, circuit boards, transformers, insulated wires, monitors and mainframes.

Learning About Electronic Scrap

Learning about electronic scrap prices calls for a lot of diligence. Computer board prices often run the gamut. If you sell a P3 motherboard, then you may be able to get $2.30 a pound. If you sell a silver memory computer board, then you may be able to get a little more at $3.00 a pound. Gold memory computer board price tags tend to be substantially higher. They tend to sell for $8.00 a pound.

People who want to comprehend electronic scrap prices should learn all about internal parts. Hard drives that do not have any boards may demand just 10 cents a pound. Hard drives that do have them may be able to score 30 cents a pound.

You can learn more about electronic scrap prices by assessing items that are miscellaneous in nature. A couple examples of these kinds of items are gold-plated connectors and AC adaptors. These connectors may go for 35 cents a pound. AC adaptors may go for a nickel or so a pound.

There are no specific rules for electronic scrap prices. If you’re interested in doing away with confusion, then you can review prices that are typically associated with everything from mixed ceramic processors and whole servers to digital satellite receivers and P4 motherboards.

Where to Sell Computer Scrap Pieces? CJD E-Cycling Is the Intelligent Answer

Finding a suitable place to sell old pieces of your computer can be a headache for people who do not know where to begin. CJD E-Cycling is a family-run business that handles electronic scrap recycling and all of its pathways. The professionals who work for this Illinois company strive to make the vast planet a lot more eco-friendly. They strive to do so by providing people with facilities that can help them safely and efficiently do away with metals and electronic devices of all varieties. The CJD E-Cycling team wants nothing more than for landfills to remain as clear as possible.

CJD E-Cycling can be a rock-solid choice for people who want to say farewell to all kinds of electronic devices. If you’re keen on recycling a computer that you haven’t used in years, the CJD E-Cycling team can come through for you 100 percent. They often say that they will take anything with a cord. They just as frequently say that they embrace metals of all varieties.

Why do we recycle computers? We do so because it can pave the way for many advantages. Companies like CJD E-Cycling make electronic scrap recycling a piece of cake. Recycling electronic scraps doesn’t have to be frustrating for people who work with the CJD E-Cycling team. CJD E-Cycling buys printers, keyboards, monitors, consoles, CRTs and digital music players that are portable. If you have any questions that involve materials that the CJD E-Cycling crew may take, then visit the business website. You can check out a document that highlights any and all appropriate options.

Conclusion

Why do we recycle computers? We recycle computers because CJD E-Cycling streamlines the concept of buying e-scraps. Why do we recycle computers? We do so because the company can help you score cash. If you have an old and seemingly useless computer that’s simply gathering dust inside of your living space, then nothing can make more sense than seeking guidance from the CJD E-Cycling crew.

You don’t have to go into panic mode if you have any questions that relate to the CJD E-Cycling team and all of your recycling options. CJD E-Cycling is headquartered in pleasant Edwardsville, Illinois. It has the cooperation of team members who are detail-oriented and knowledgeable regarding all sorts of electronic waste management techniques. You can find out more from the company by filling out a basic form that’s on hand on its official website. Just fill out the fields for your name, email address and subject. If you have questions about price points or anything else, a CJD E-Cycling employee will get back to you rapidly.

You don’t have to restrict yourself to contact through email. You can also call the company’s office on the telephone. Be sure to ask its staff members questions about electronic waste recycling opportunities. Call the staff at CJD E-Cycling as soon as you can to find out more about the perks of old computer recycling. Why do we recycle computers? They can tell you.

The post Why Do We Recycle Computers? And Other Answers to Your E-Cycling Questions appeared first on CJD E-Cycling.

Is It Worth Recycling?

You may think those bulky old desktop computers and first and second-generation laptops are unusable, but that isn’t the case. Any older desktops, laptops or their internal or external parts can be worthy of computer recycling or salvaging.

Electronic recycling or repurposing of smaller computer parts and electronics is just as important as recycling larger components. Salvaging, reusing, or reconditioning computer parts in some capacity is always possible.

So, if you want to dispose of your electronic components, you don’t have to find some far distant place to take them. It’s the consensus of technological waste industries that your old computers and electronics will find their way into good hands somewhere. There are city services, recycling centers and charitable organizations out there, from small to large, that know how to handle your computer and electronic waste.

Where to Start

Once you decide to go the disposal route with any of your computer recycling, you’ll want to delete any personal information or other important data from the devices you plan on salvaging, recycling, donating, or selling. Simply follow the steps necessary to remove that kind of information from your computer’s hard drive. Follow similar instructions to wipe any personal data from tablets, cellphones, or any other devices where personal information or critical data has been inputted.

Also, if any of your devices include batteries that are rechargeable, you’ll want to remove them for separate disposal. Rechargeable batteries contain harmful elements, so you’ll want to discard them somewhere other than a garbage dump or landfill.

Creative Uses

Before you definitely go the computer recycling or dumping route and cut the ties with your old technology, think about how you could reuse parts you retrieve from your older computers and electronics. You may find other ways to use them rather than getting rid of them altogether. You could look at what you consider junk in a creative sense. Making artistic pieces or display items is fun, plus you’re preserving a visual history of older computer technology. 

Recycling Options

You have any number of options when it comes to electronic recycling. There are state, local, and nonprofit organizations that solicit and acquire used computers and electronics. There are also local recycling centers that specialize in electronic waste disposal along with other groups like Call2Recycle.org and Earth911 that offer information on recycling solutions throughout the United States. With the many options available, you should be able to find the right one that fits your recycling needs.

City Recycling Services

Often your local city has a recyclables collection service for recyclable items that go along with your refuse collection service. You may have permission to recycle outdated electronics in a specified container for pickup. Always check with your city government sanitation/garbage collection services about curbside pickups for electronic recycling before you discard them. In some cities, you cannot dispose of electronics in this way, because of the dangers of hazardous materials to city dump sites.

Local Hazardous Waste Facilities

When curbside pickup is not available for electronic recycling, you may want to contact your local or county hazardous waste facility that will accept old computers, parts, and related electronics that may contain dangerous materials. A waste facility will usually take apart any component that requires disposal in a safe manner. Go through your city or county’s public works department to find a facility near you or check online for a waste facility in your area.

Electronic Recycling Centers

Besides city and county recycling services, family owned and operated electronic recycling centers are of great benefit and value to those wanting to donate obsolete and newer computers, hardware, and related electronics. Local recycling centers often compensate clients for what they donate. 

Recycling centers are a boon to a community as they offer a myriad of services that you won’t find with other recycling establishments, and they operate under strict guidelines that protect the environment. Many recycling centers have sprung up across the country and offer both electronics and computer recycling that includes recycling of both outdated electronics and newer components. They often recycle almost every computer component and part in existence that includes servers, towers, CPU’s and computer scrap. Many centers such as CJD E-Cycling offer extended services that include

• Purchase options on E-Scrap
• Tracking of recycled materials
• Tailored pickups for customers
• Drive-thru drop offs
• Accommodate unique client needs
• Data destruction
• In-house processing
• Exchange of metal for cash
• E-Waste drive events
• Collection Center locations for drop-offs
• Listings of non accepted items for client use
• Social media access

Community Computer Recycling

When you have many computers and electronic items to dispose of that are still in good shape and working order but you would rather donate them, there are many local education and other facilities that will accept computers and other outdated electronic components, such as

• Public Schools
• Private schools
• Adult education programs
• Libraries
• Churches
• Senior centers
• Recreation centers
• Women’s shelters
• Assisted living facilities
• Homeless shelters
• Other education related services

Donation Stipulations

There are several things you’ll want to take into consideration when it comes to donating outdated electronics. You’ll want the devices to be no older than five years and you’ll want them to function properly. You’ll also want them to not require repairs or replacement of parts. It’s only common courtesy to donate items in working order. Always find out ahead of time if the organization your donating to has stipulations on the condition of the electronics you’re giving them.  You don’t want to drop off an older computer only to be told the organization can’t use it.  

Charitable Donations

You may think your computer and electronic parts are unusable, but there are charitable and non-profit organizations that will be happy to take them off your hands. Locate those organizations online that accept computer parts and electronics, or through phone listings. Goodwill is one example. They take donations at their drop-off and drive-up locations and partner with Dell Reconnect to take almost any brand of computer and computer parts. Other organizations in affiliation with charitable donations include:

The World Computer Exchange organization takes part in computer recycling and computer reuse across the world, and they provide used computers and related electronics to developing countries in need. The Exchange has local chapters and a main website in the United States. They accept computer donations and they repair and recycle outdated equipment.   

Salvation Army – Contact your local Salvation Army and ask them whether they are accepting donation for computers, electronics and any related computer hardware. If they are arrange for free-e waste pickup or drop off at your local Salvation Army.

Vietnam Veterans of America – Contact your local facility Contact Vietnam Veterans of America to donate your old computers and electronics. They provide free e-waste pickup for any electronics related items. Always remember to ask about any restrictions on conditions of items to be donated.

Computers with Causes – This organization has a website for computer recycling. You complete their online form that gives instructions how to submit any computers, tablets and related electronics that you’re trying to discard. Any devices for consideration must be no older than three years. They request that all personal information be deleted.

Online Sites and Trade Circulars

Another way to sell your obsolete yet still valuable electronics is through sites like Facebook Marketplace eBay, Craigslist, or through local newspaper ads and buy and trade circulars. You can usually find these publications placed next to newspaper and magazine stands in mini malls and grocery store complexes.

Trade-in/Take-Back Programs

Another way to recycle older computers and parts is through trade-in or take-back programs. Say you have an older model computer that you want to trade in for an upgrade. Contact the manufacturer of your computer or the retailer where you bought your computer and ask either about discounts or trade-in options for a return on an older model. Other companies may offer different choices such as mail-in or take back options in return for gift certificates for tablets and other electronic devices.  

Retail Electronic Recycling Programs

Electronic retailers will often sponsor recycling events at different times of the year. Be sure and contact any electronic retailers ahead of time to assure that your retail location is accepting what you want to drop off for recycling. Often recycle programs will place recycle boxes for drop off at retail locations. Ask your local retailer for drop box times and locations.

Tech Firm Electronic Recycling

Besides recycling programs at the retail level, there are specific manufacturers of electronics, such as HP, that offer computer recycling on different computers and computer hardware. Check with your personal computer brand provider to determine whether they offer a recycling program for disposal of your particular electronics.Your text to link… Those companies that currently offer electronic recycling of old electronics include:  

• Apple – has a GiveBack program, gift cards, and store credits for specific products. They also accept products for recycling.
• Best Buy – has electronic recycling options for numerous electronics matter where you bought them.
• Sprint – also has a Buyback program with account credits
• Amazon – offers substantial gift cards for almost any electronic device for numerous electronic devices
• Office supply companies like Office Depot and Staples offer company programs for printer cartridge recycling and other sales and rebate offers.

Public E-Waste Computer Recycling

Cities and towns will often sponsor free e-waste pickup events where citizens can either ask for pickup or attend the event to drop off old computers and electronics. Always check with your public works department of your city or county to confirm whether there is an event near your area. Also, ask what items will be allowed for pick up and drop off for electronic recycling.

Local E-Waste Computer Recycling

There are private e-waste recycling companies that have the necessary facilities to help you recycle your used or obsolete computer parts. They often offer free e-waste pickup and dispose of your used computer parts in an eco-friendly and responsible manner. Many e-waste companies will offer other services that include disposing of large surpluses of IT holdings and added electronic wastes.

Other E-Waste Providers

There are many green waste disposal companies throughout America that offer free e-waste pickup. Many of these businesses will send out trucks to your location for pickup. You simply call an e-waste provider in your local area and a pickup will be arranged. Other organizations that specialize in recycling electronic items will specify exactly what they will accept for e-recycling and will provide a listing of those items. One such e-waste recycling program, eWast4good,Your text to link… works in hand with other organizations in the Central Valley and Bay area of California to help people in those areas recycle most any old electronic components, and they do it all through direct free e-waste pickup at homes and businesses.

Whether you repurpose, donate, recycle, sell, trade or discard your old and obsolete computers and electronics, there are numerous providers that allow you to do just that in an environmentally friendly, productive and lucrative way. With the minute-by-minute advances being made in electronics and computerized devices, there will be an ever increasing accumulation of outmoded components across the globe. You want to be a step ahead in the recycling game and seek the best and most eco-friendly way to dispose of your electronic waste. Most of the top tips for computer recycling given here should be helpful in finding what best fits your recycling needs.

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The post How to Recycle Old Electronics: Top Tips for Computer Recycling appeared first on CJD E-Cycling.

Benefits of Recycling Waste

An e-waste management company will take your old electronics hardware and perform electronic recycling and computer board recycling. Recycling electronics waste protects our planet and various resources. It also protects humans. Here are some of the benefits of e-waste recycling:

Recovery of valuable resources

Recycling e-scrap recovers gold, silver, platinum, copper, titanium, lithium, cobalt, aluminum, iron, tin, and fossil fuels from old electronics devices and puts these valuable resources into new electronics products. Even the metals, glass, and plastics in e-waste are reusable.

Saving of electricity

The EPA states that recycling one million laptops saves enough energy to run 3,657 US households for one year.

Pollution reduction

Electronic devices contain toxic heavy metals such as PVC plastic, cadmium and beryllium, mercury, lead, brominated flame retardants, and other hazardous chemicals. These things harm human health, the environment, and contaminate the water supply. This pollution is greatly reduced by e-waste management because recycling does not allow for the dumping of electronics waste into landfills.

Landfill space conservation

One by one, the states in the US are passing laws that demand e-waste management.

Reduced production waste

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition states that it takes 40 pounds of chemicals, 530 pounds of fossil fuel, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture just one computer and monitor. This means the production process burns 81% of the energy that is associated with each computer – the years spent using them only take 19%.

Job creation

With millions of devices in need of tedious electronic recycling and computer board recycling, there are plenty of e-waste management job openings.

The Valuable Resources Waste Problem

According to blogs.ei.columbia.edu, the value of recoverable materials in global electronics waste in 2016 was estimated to be $64.6 billion. Only about 20% of that was being recycled.

Cell phones are the most frequently discarded electronics item. According to one article, one million cell phones contain 33 pounds of palladium, 35,274 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, and 75 pounds of gold.

Reclaiming valuable resources from unwanted electronics is much easier than mining for them. This “urban mining” that e-waste management companies do makes sense. According to a recent study done in China, traditional mining costs 13 times as much as the electronic recycling of things like aluminum, gold, and copper contained in e-waste costs.

The world continues to escalate the use of electronics products, which increases the demand for precious metals and other valuable resources that go into making them. Electronics manufacturers are already experiencing shortages in raw materials.

Electronic Recycling Challenges

• More than half of the world’s collected e-waste is exported to developing nations. The inadequate environmental controls in the recycling companies there allow various kinds of health and environmental problems to form.
• The quality of e-waste is decreasing. Devices are being made smaller and smaller, so they contain few precious metals in them. This has caused some recycling businesses to close.
• Electronics are being made to better protect information than in previous generations of the products. This also makes these items hard for recyclers to get into them to recycle, repair, and offer up for reuse.

The Electronics Recycling Process

Recycling electronics can be difficult, depending on the sophistication of the devices. These products are made with different amounts of plastics, metals, and glass. Also, the process of separating the various materials will vary, depending on what is being recycled and what technologies are being used.

Collection

Recyclers put electronics take-back booths or collection bins in particular places such as in Walmart stores.

Transportation

Recyclers collect and transport the e-waste to recycling facilities.

Shredding, sorting, and separation – The various materials that make up electronics must be cleanly separated so they can be used to make new products.

Recyclers shred the collected devices into pieces as small as 100mm. This facilitates the extraction of iron and steel from everything else through the use of a powerful overhead magnet. Next, mechanical processing separates the copper, aluminum, and circuit boards, leaving mostly plastic and some glass. Water separation technology extracts the glass. Metal remnants are the last items to be separated from the plastics.

Preparation for sale

The raw materials are prepared for sale as raw materials that will be used to make new electronic products.

Choosing an E-Waste Management Company

It is important for the health of humans and the environment that your electronics waste is properly disposed of. Because of the many unscrupulous global dumping operations that present themselves as responsible e-waste recycling companies, you’ll need to ask any prospective recycling partners a series of questions. That is the only way you can be assured of their integrity.

1. Ask the recycling company what their address is
   A responsible recycling business will have facilities where they operate. If the company spokesperson dodges your question regarding the address, his company likely participates in global dumping.
2. Ask to see the recyclers permit to operate
   A legal recycling business would have a permit and be willing and able to show it to you.
3. Ask the company for proof of their commitment to the environment
   Recycling companies all claim to be committed to the environment, but you’ll want to know for sure how committed to the environment the company you are considering actually is. Some sort of proof of their commitment would assure you that the business is likely a responsible recycler. Certifications are a good indication of commitment to a cause. The company should be able to show you certification by either the R2 or the e Stewards EPA-endorsed standard programs.
4. Find recycling companies who educate the public about e-waste
   You want a recycling partner who makes positive impacts on human health and the environment. It would be even better if that partner is part of the solution through education of the public about the proper disposal of electronics waste.
5. Ask how recycler handles data security
   It is critical that sensitive information is destroyed, whether you are recycling customer electronics or your own electronics. Nobody wants their private information shared with others or misused.Ask whether they shred, degauss, or wipe data. Some recyclers will offer you a certificate of hard drive destruction to verify that your personal information was destroyed. You’ll want to make sure that if you are considering a recycler who refurbishes various electronics gadgets that you specify in the contract that all personal information will be wiped from all devices. Get it in writing in the statement of work or in your final contract.
6. Know what you need
   The first thing you need to do is to understand in detail what you need the e-waste company to do. That’s because recycling companies will ask you detailed questions about your recycling requirements. Here is how you prepare:
   1. Consider the sources of e-waste in your facilities
   2. Gauge how much e-waste your facilities produce weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
   3. List the kinds of e-waste that your facilities commonly produce. Are they finished products or mostly accessories? Does the company accept and process the kind of scrap you have?
7. Set up meetings
   Once you have taken a personal inventory, start contacting recyclers. Have local vendors meet with you at your business. If good customer service is important to a company, their spokesperson will want to meet with you and see your facilities. Before they arrive, consider signing a non-disclosure agreement if you think you’ll exchange information with them or give them a tour. Your visitor will ask you what you need, and you’ll have your list prepared.
8. Choose Recycling Businesses that charge favorably
   You will be able to judge a lot about the recycling company by how they charge you. Any problems in this area may indicate that the company cuts corners in the recycling process, behind the scenes. So, see if the company:
   1. Charges you responsibly, not overly concerned about profiting off you
   2. Has a favorable attitude toward negotiating prices
9. Negotiate
   Most recyclers will charge for some kinds of items, but compensate for others. If they charge you, the fees are based on the weight of the materials and what you’re recycling. You may be offered money by the pound for hard drives, but then charged a nominal amount for inkjet printers.You can expect recyclers to tell you what they charge or pay upfront. Sometimes you can negotiate a little. Check the commodity prices often because they fluctuate, affecting the value of the gold, silver, copper, and other metals in your electronic items. The company may haul off your pile of electronics free of charge, but you’ll need to be sure they will consider shipping costs.In the negotiation phase, you may want to ask potential vendors these questions:
   1. Are there items you won’t take?
   2. How much do you pay for laptops, etc.?
   3. How much are your transportation charges?
   4. Would you give me a certificate of destruction or other proof the hard drive was destroyed?
   5. Do you have environmental certifications?
   6. Could you come get individual boxes or pallets or do you only pick up by the truckload?
   7. Do you require a minimum volume?
   8. How often can you come pick up electronics?

About Electronic Recycling and Computer Board Recycling

Telecommunications, electronics, and computer scrap contains the following kinds of circuit boards that recyclers want:

• Aviation circuit boards
• Military circuit boards
• Tablet circuit boards
• Cell phone boards
• Telecommunications and networking equipment boards
• Server and mainframe boards
• Server and mainframe backplanes (pin boards)
• Server and mainframe cards
• Hard drive circuit boards (but no cases or platters)
• Daughter cards, such as expansion, video, and network cards, etc.
• Desktop and laptop motherboards

Other kinds of circuit board scrap include:

• Shredded circuit board scrap
• Motherboard scrap
• E waste-scrap
• Electronic scrap
• Printed circuit board scrap
• Circuit board scrap
• Computer scrap

Recycling companies will likely only take circuit boards that do not have cadmium/beryllium, mercury switches or any batteries. They’ll also won’t want excess metal such as aluminum or copper heat sinks on the items they take in.

Advantage of Using a Recycling Company that Refurbishes Electronics

Some recycling companies may want to specialize in electronic recycling and computer board recycling and not want to deal with whole computers, monitors, hard drives, power supplies, or anything else at all.

But, if you find a company who refurbishes electronic items, you’re in luck because they will want all of the parts. They will not only want your computer CPU, monitor, and keyboard, but they’ll want the power cable, computer mouse, and any other accessories the owner used with it.

They’ll want all of your unwanted technological devices and even some of the batteries used. You can get rid of audio/video equipment, networking equipment, video game consoles, digital converter boxes, cable receivers, satellite receivers. They’ll want CRT, projection, flat screen, plasma, and console TVs too.

Electronics Recycling Laws

As of October of 2019, 25 US states had laws in place that mandated e-waste recycling statewide. Though passed in half of the states, these laws cover 65% of the population. Indiana, Illinois, Connecticut, California, and other states have also banned e-waste from landfills. Other states are working toward passing similar laws.

Conclusion

An astonishing 80% of technology items are tossed rather than recycled, even though they contain precious metals. Manufacturers are already running into shortages of the metals they need. Electronics are also filled with harmful toxins, and US states are passing e-waste management laws to correct the problem. Electronic recycling and computer board recycling is part of e-waste management. E waste management companies who also refurbish electronic items accept much more of the unwanted parts and accessories.

The post How to Choose E Waste Management Services that are Right for Your Business appeared first on CJD E-Cycling.

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.

The post Why It’s Important to Recycle Computer Parts Properly appeared first on CJD E-Cycling.