Each year, Americans generate almost 47 pounds of e-waste per information available for 2022. End-of-life electronics should go into recycling, but the reality is that approximately 14 million metric tons worldwide end up in landfills. How much ends up in U.S. landfills? The EPA reports that only 59.8% of major appliances and 38.5% of “selected consumer electronics” are properly recycled.
E-waste recycling relies on people to work together. Even with the best recycling programs, manufacturers and e-waste processors need consumers and businesses to cooperate. Any end-of-life e-waste program is only helpful if there’s a framework in place for people to follow. End-of-life standards do much more. They keep workers safe as they recycle and refurbish electronic devices.
A Breakdown of the Nation’s End-of-Life Standards
When electronics have outlived their use, recycling keeps them from leaching metals and other toxins into the groundwater and soil. It also keeps glass and plastic from ending up in landfills where they don’t break down for many decades. The chemicals in batteries are hazardous, too, and need to be managed properly.
Because of this, several regulatory frameworks in place cover design and manufacturing to end-of-life, which work together to protect people and the environment. They include:
- Illinois Lead Poisoning Prevention Act—In Illinois, electronics containing more than 0.004% of lead per total weight must have a warning label. Selling electronics and electrical items without that warning label is illegal.
- RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) – Several states in the U.S. use RoHS to limit the types and quantity of heavy metals in electronics. The targeted heavy metals include cadmium, lead, mercury, and nickel. RoHS is not a federal regulation, yet.
- UL (Underwriters Laboratory) – Electrical items sold in the U.S. should be lab-tested and meet UL standards. Items from overseas may not meet this regulation, which poses a fire and safety hazard. Consumers need to check that items have verifiable UL test reports available.
- WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) – This European Union standard focuses on reducing e-waste from landfills and ensuring it is re-used as much as possible and the remaining parts are properly recycled and used to make new electronics.
Those are key regulations in the U.S., but there are many others. You should also check what certifications and regulations are followed when end-of-life electronics are recycled and refurbished. In our opinion, R2 is one of the biggest. It’s a SERI standard for electronics that requires them to be tested, repaired, reused, and recycled. It covers electronic lifespans from development to end-of-life.
The other we feel consumers and business owners need to look for is e-Stewards. Some electronics recyclers take electronics and ship them overseas for disposal. With an e-Stewards recycler, data security is ensured. Data must be destroyed and items must be recycled and refurbished locally and not shipped to other countries. All recycling must meet local and international data and security laws.
The more certifications an e-waste and ITAD provider holds, the better it is for your privacy, the environment, and the circular economy. Those should be primary focuses as you recycle, refurbish, and purchase new or secondhand electronics.
How a New Administration Could Change Things
With any election, campaign promises are made and never met, so it’s impossible to know for certain what the future holds. What are some of the biggest considerations with a new administration?
There are talks of the new administration pulling back on the current administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Another expected change is the increase of tariffs on imported goods. Refurbishing may become a much cheaper option than buying new. If the suggested 60% tariff on Chinese goods goes into effect, consumers could start to see prices of new electronics soar. This could help lower the amount of e-waste while increasing refurbishment.
What Challenges Remain?
Some hurdles remain regarding effective e-waste recycling and refurbishment. The first is that people often don’t know where to bring their unused electronics. Municipal budgets may have shut down certain centers, which leaves people struggling to find the closest center. Curbside pick-up of electronics is uncommon. If there’s a long drive to dispose of electronics, people are less likely to make the effort. That’s one of the largest hurdles across the nation, but there are others.
Worries of the Cost
The other issue is that people often struggle to find places where they can bring boxes of electronics for recycling. If you have a recycling facility available, businesses may be charged a lot of money to recycle unwanted items. Recycling may be free for consumers, but it’s not free for businesses. California charges a fee at the time of purchase, which covers the cost of recycling. It’s not the case everywhere.
Not every state is like that. Take Vermont for example. Businesses, residents, schools, non-profits, and municipalities pay a fee of 18 cents per pound for many electronic items. Those items include battery backup UPS, CPAP machines, CD players and other stereo equipment, digital converter boxes, fax machines, landline phones, and printers/copiers. Other electronics are free thanks to manufacturer take-back programs, unless the business has more than 10 employees. Those companies must pay for all e-waste recycling.
With the hefty fees on many older electronics, people don’t make the effort. It can lead to items sitting in attics, basements, storerooms, and warehouses rather than paying the fee. Others simply put them in the garbage when possible and hope it goes undetected, which isn’t a great solution.
Knowing What Is Recyclable
Your county’s laws may differ from neighboring counties, so you need to pay close attention to what local recycling centers say they accept. Some have boxes for battery recycling, while others don’t. Some might take computers and charging cables, while others don’t. Separate these items by type and research where to go.
Retailers like Ace, Home Depot, and Lowe’s often have battery recycling boxes near the front of the store. Bring all of your batteries to those stores for environmentally friendly, easy-to-manage recycling. Best Buy, Goodwill, and Staples are great locations for recycling a few electronic items like laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
Poor Insight Regarding Proper Data Destruction Methods
We’ve all heard of breaches occurring from data left behind on a device that was then retrievable. Removing your data with a factory reset isn’t enough. How do you know that the company collecting your e-waste is going to properly destroy data? That makes it hard to understand where a business can go with used electronics and not risk having PII or SPII stolen.
Some facilities make it clear that they do not offer data destruction. Any items you drop off must already have sensitive data removed. That’s why a business or consumer should choose a responsible e-waste provider that has data destruction services. Not only is it safer, but many businesses are legally required to choose an ITAD provider for data destruction.
When you choose ERI, data destruction is possible, and we can even come to your offices to destroy data before the electronics leave your site. This desirable service is a must-have option for any company with SPII like SSNs, bank account information, and medical records.
We also offer top dollar for electronics that are still viable. Our refurbishment program gives your old items new life, and you can use the money you recoup to pay for services like data destruction.
Reduce E-Waste Through Refurbishment
A circular economy only works if people do their part to recycle items, purchase new or refurbished items made using recycled or reusable materials, and focus on companies who are doing their part to minimize how discarded electronics impact the environment. ERI is the nation’s leader in the circular economy of electronics and batteries. Contact us today!