How to Dispose of Electronics: Say No to E-Waste

It’s difficult to not get caught up in the excitement of new technology. Compared with even just a decade ago, tech has come a long way (anyone else actually remember the not-too-distant days of the Nokia brick?!).

But in all the excitement of what’s new, it’s important to not forget about the old. That smartphone becomes a stupid waste of resources if it just ends up in a landfill, or causes harm to a child working in the informal recycling sector in a developing country.

E-waste is a massive problem, expected to reach an astonishing annual rate of 110 million tons by 2050. Fortunately, as you’ll see in this article, there are a few easy-to-implement solutions for how to dispose of electronics responsibly. Let’s plug in, power on, and learn how to better protect our planet.

Even if you purchase your electronics from sustainable tech companies, that doesn’t solve the inherent problem of obsolescence and its associated waste.

E-waste, or electronic waste, is a term used to describe electronics that have reached or are nearing the end of their “useful life”—or are simply discarded when they’re replaced with a newer version. Think: working and broken computers, TVs, printers, stereos, DVD players, smartphones, toasters, vacuums, keyboards, microwaves, fans, cables, mice, clocks, lamps, radios, remote controls, heating pads, calculators, phones, tablets, treadmills, and cameras.

Every year, roughly 50 million metric tons of e-waste are created around the world, less than 20% of which is formally recycled. Not only are these numbers rapidly growing, but they’re bringing about a range of associated problems.

Environmental Problems

When an old microwave or keyboard ends up in a landfill or incinerator, it has the potential to release hazardous substances directly into the environment.Heavy metals and flame retardants seep into soils and eventually contaminate groundwater. Over time, these toxins can cause irreversible damage in ecosystems.

If it is informally disposed of (melted, shredded, or dismantled), it not only poses a risk of these dangerous chemicals being released into the environment and causing air pollution, but it also can lead to serious risks for humans, too.

Social Problems

The U.S. and other developed countries send “an undetermined amount of used electronics” to developing countries. There, with little enforcement or regulation, improper practices are used to dismantle electronics and recover valuable materials.

It’s these improper practices without safety equipment we should be concerned about. Open-air burning and acid baths can expose workers to high levels of contaminants such as cadmium, mercury, nickel, brominated flame retardants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and lead. These all pose a risk of irreversible health effects, including cancer, neurological damage, respiratory illness, DNA damage, impaired thyroid function, reproductive issues, and diminished IQs.

A 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) report urges immediate action “to protect the millions of children, adolescents, and expectant mothers whose health is jeopardized by the informal processing of discarded electrical or electronic devices.”

Estimates indicate roughly 12.9 million women and 18 million children are actively engaged in the waste processing sector and are potentially exposed to toxic e-waste. Children, particularly, play an essential role in e-waste recycling because of their nimble fingers and improved dexterity. Unfortunately, they also absorb more toxins and have bodies that are less capable of metabolizing them.

For visual learners looking for a wake-up call, check out Welcome to Sodom, a behind-the-scenes look at a European e-waste dump in Ghana, Africa. Or of course, there’s always WALL-E!

Wasted Precious Resources

‘Waste’ is part of the name, but it’s easy to overlook the fact that many e-waste products contain components of significant value, like cadmium, gold, lead, iron, and mercury. They also contain other less valuable but still recyclable elements like glass, fiberglass, and plastic. These have an embedded value when you consider all the resources—both human and planetary—that went into producing them in the first place.

Not only is there economic value in knowing how to properly dispose of electronics, thus keeping these materials in use, but tremendous environmental value, too. If one million laptops were recycled, the amount of energy re-captured would be enough to power 3,657 U.S. homes for an entire year.

Before you jump into how to dispose of broken electronics, first consider if it really needs to be disposed of in the first place. It might come as a surprise, but most common problems with modern electronics are easily repairable—and with YouTube videos and DIY diagnostic guides aplenty, anyone can become an electronics doctor.

If the thought of looking at resistors, transistors, and inductors is as scary as the dreaded “blue screen of death,” electronics repair shops are a great option and chances are, there are several in your area.

If not, keep your eyes (and iPhones) peeled for a mobile electronics repair service coming to your area in the future. “Right to Repair” projects (like London’s Restart Project) are popping up around the globe, instructing people on how to make simple repairs to extend the lives of their electronics.

Thanks to a growing number of online and mobile platforms devoted to the sale of old electronics, selling old gadgets (namely cameras, tablets, smartphones, and laptops) has never been easier. In fact, if you’re in the U.S., you probably have one of ecoATM’s 4,500 kiosk locations nearby in stores like Kroger and Walmart.

Even if you can’t physically make it to an electronic drop-off, buyback services like Gazelle, Decluttr, and BuyBackWorld mkae it easy. Simply list the make and the model of the electronic item, provide some details about its condition, and receive an instant offer via store credit, direct deposit, or PayPal.

You can also consider selling old electronics yourself through peer-to-peer platforms like Amazon, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Letgo, OfferUp, and Gumtree (AU). Be honest about the condition (to avoid any messy return processes where you might be out the return shipping and waste unnecessary emissions), make note of any defects, and try to take as many photos as you can.

Before you send in anything, be sure to do a factory reset. Protect your privacy so that bank account information and your browsing history don’t end up in the hands of another.

Selling Broken Electronics

Think that laptop you tragically spilled coffee all over is destined for the landfill?

Think again. Sell Broke, Decluttr, Beagle Brain, and It’s Worth More (among others) can all be used to sell gently-used, functional, or even broken electronics with varying prices depending on the age and functionality of the device. These third-party buyback platforms make it so you can still make a few bucks AND prevent all the undamaged parts from getting thrown away unnecessarily.

If you want a fuss-free way to clear our office clutter, consider donating it. Putting old electronics to use again is a far better alternative than letting it end up in a landfill or going through the recycling process. Plus, it has the chance to help a not-for-profit school, low-income household, veteran, or someone with disabilities.

The nonprofit organization human-I-T, for example, provides underserved communities with technology. They’ll pick it up, wipe your hard drive and sensitive data, send you a tax-deductible receipt, and NEVER shred, smelt, grind, or throw technology away either.

Goodwill provides another option for donating computers and electronics. Many locations accept laptops, TVs, Mp3 players, monitors, printers, scanners, hard drives, keyboards, mice, speakers, cords, cell phones, DVD players, VCRs, cables, ink cartridges, software, video game systems, and webcams. Still double-check with your local location to ensure they’ll accept your old electronic equipment.

Here are some other electronics donation options:

• World Computer Exchange
• Computers with Causes
• Cell Phones for Soldiers
• PickUp Please (pickup available in select major US cities)

When all else fails and you’re certain that old iPad can no longer be in used (or even monetarily resold for refurbishment), recycling the electronics at a specialist e-waste recycler is the Earth-friendly thing to do.

According to the EPA, when a million cell phones are recycled, 35,000 pounds of copper and 772 pounds of silver can make their way into new products—minimizing the resources required and emissions produced in manufacturing virgin materials.

Fortunately, between local government initiatives (think: the electronics recycling at your local recycling center or landfill) and private entities, the options are plentiful. Even widespread electronics stores like Staples and Best Buy accept e-waste, though sometimes a fee is required.

Look for facilities that are R2 certified, meaning that they meet the world’s most widely adopted standard for responsible electronics recycling. Across 28 countries, there are more than 900 of such certified facilities. TERRA (The Electronics Reuse & Recycling Alliance) is one such responsible recycling organization. Community members can sign up to host recycling events in their area.

NOTE: Before you start the electronics recycling process, clear any personal information and remove batteries (which you should recycle separately through companies like Call2Recycle).

These eco-friendly electronics disposal methods are great and all, but the best way to achieve truly sustainable technology is to not need to dispose of your devices at all—or at least as infrequently as possible.

So before you buy a new Bluetooth speaker or wireless mouse, do your research. Know what goes into the product, how the raw materials are sourced, and who’s helped to manufacture it. Then take some time to get to know the product itself. Check out reviews and consider different options so you get something perfectly suited to your needs that will last as long as possible (also a good time to check out used or refurbished electronics).

Preemptively looking into the recyclability of the item doesn’t hurt either, especially since many sustainable electronics brands these days offer recycling programs for their own products.

You can also look for eco-friendly certifications when shopping, like B Corp, Cradle to Cradle Certified, UL ECOLOGO, and ENERGY STAR.

But most important don’t buy anything you don’t need! In 2017, the average digital consumer-owned 3.23 electronic devices. By 2020, residents in the US and UK owned 10.37 and 9.16 devices, respectively.

Sure, many aspects of our lives have become more convenient thanks to technology, but so much of it is unecessary. The latest iPhone camera may be spectacular, but that’s hardly reason enough to discard your barely two-year-old otherwise perfectly functioning phone. So before those TikTok ads inspire you to jump on the latest trending tech train, consider what’s absolutely necessary—and what you can live without.