Across the country, many elementary, middle, and high schools provide students with iPads or laptops to use in classrooms and at home for completing homework. These devices are often replaced within a five-year cycle. You also have the teachers’ laptops, screen projectors, smartboards, scientific calculators, phones, copiers, printers, etc. As children and adults return to their classrooms, it’s time to think about back-to-school recycling.
Per the U.S. Census, there were 54.2 million students enrolled in elementary, middle, or high school. This isn’t even considering college and university students who make up another 23.7 million. Many work on computers and tablets, which cut paper waste but increased e-waste.
Even if students share computers, there are still millions of computers being replaced every few years. It’s a lot of e-waste being generated. The sad fact is that only 17.4% of e-waste is recycled properly around the world. In the U.S. 66% of the heavy metals in landfills come from e-waste.
Schools must set up strict policies for recycling e-waste. Even if it’s not a state law, it’s important to protect the environment for future generations, and that starts with educating students on what to do when they no longer need an electronic device. It also requires administrations to set up easy-to-follow e-recycling processes for all teachers, students, and other staff members to rely on.
What Electronics Are Recyclable?
All electronics are recyclable, even alkaline batteries should be recycled and not thrown out. ERI recycles all of the following that are used in schools and school theater and sports programs.
- Appliances/White Goods
- Batteries
- Cell phones
- Computer peripherals (keyboards, mice, microphones, rechargeable headsets/earbuds, storage devices like external hard drives and thumb drives)
- Copiers
- Desktop and laptop computers
- DVD players
- Fax machines
- Light bulbs
- Monitors
- Network equipment
- Printers
- Rechargeable devices (Calculators, recorders, remotes, etc.)
- Smart displays
- Solar panels
- Stereo and audio equipment
- Tablets and e-readers
- Televisions
In general, if it is an item that you recharge or plug into a wall, it can be recycled. While your laws may not specify what cannot go into the trash, you should make a point of recycling items with metals and other hazardous materials.
Information to Include on Laminated Posters and Signs
Start the school year by making it very apparent about what can be recycled and how to recycle it. Posters with clear signs on what to recycle, where to bring it, and who to ask if there is any uncertainty are helpful, but they need to be placed in more than one or two locations. Put them in every classroom, near lockers, in the office, and main entrances. Things to make sure are included on the poster include:
- What devices are recyclable?
- What isn’t accepted, such as a broken CFL bulb?
- How to package items like batteries for recycling, such as bundling them in a freezer bag.
- Who to bring them to or where to place them until they’re recycled.
- Who to talk to if someone has questions?
If you laminate these posters, they won’t get damaged easily. It also makes it easier to wipe them clean if a student decides to draw on them. You may not have the ability to create a poster on your own and lack a budget for professional posters, but you’re certain to find a student or former student with an interest in graphic design. You might have graphic design or art classes willing to do them if they get the recognition. Ask them to create them.
It’s also important to make parents and guardians aware of school recycling programs. They can add e-recycling measures at home, if they don’t already recycle, which helps support the message that it’s not acceptable to throw out things like batteries, calculators, earbuds, etc.
Where to Store Used Electronics Until It’s Time to Recycle Them
If your maintenance team is handling all recyclables until it’s time to bring them to a recycling facility, they need to be stored properly. If you’re working with a specialist like ERI for pickup services by a trusted carrier, they also need to be stored properly. You can’t just place them in an open garage bay where they could be exposed to water and the elements. You can still recycle waterlogged electronics, but you don’t want lithium-ion batteries exposed to water as it can trigger a chemical reaction with prolonged exposure.
Make sure there is a safe, dry space. If the items contain any personal information, which is common on computers and tablets, the data must be destroyed. A factory reset isn’t enough in most cases. It’s the school’s responsibility to protect personally identifiable information (PII). The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires PII to be safeguarded.
If your school stores things like a child’s SSN and date of birth, make sure you’re working with a specialist in data destruction. That information must be protected and factory reset measures make it harder to access the information, but it’s not impossible. Data destruction is essential. Until that happens, the devices containing PII need to be stored in a locked room where few have access.
Batteries can be stored in containers. Taping over the ends of the battery with a piece of electrical tape is helpful, though ERI has a solution known as OneDrum that allows single-use and rechargeable batteries to all go into one drum together without needing to sort them. The drum is filled with a fire, heat, and smoke-suppressing agent to protect people and the environment during transportation.
Isn’t the Manufacturer Responsible?
Manufacturers may offer a takeback program, but they’re not a certainty. Apple offers a trade-in program for schools. Use that to get discounts on the new devices you purchase. There’s also a free recycling program for K-12 and higher education institutions that have at least 25 Apple products to recycle.
Some manufacturers don’t list programs but instead direct consumers to Goodwill or local recycling programs. States may have their own programs. For example, Vermont offers free pick-up of used electronics from school districts. Maine has a low-cost e-waste stewardship program. Many others have similar options that you can find by asking your state government or trash and recycling companies in your area. In California, electronics must also be recycled as required by CalRecycle.
ERI is happy to help school districts recycle their e-waste responsibly. We recycle computers, tablets, scanners, printers, smartboards, and so much more. Talk to us about our recycling and data destruction options that help.