What is Reclamation (Recycling)?
How often do you replace your office electronics with newer technology? What happens to your old devices when the new ones arrive?
Sometimes unused devices sit in drawers, on shelves, or in storage rooms until the time comes to dispose of them – whether that means giving them away, throwing them in the garbage, or recycling. While discarding old electronics in the trash may seem like a convenient option, it does come at a price to our environment.
E-waste recycling concerns those electronics that are near or have reached the end of their useful life. Examples include:
- televisions
- cellular phones
- landline telephones
- laptop and desktop PCs
- kitchen appliances
- portable fans or heaters
- air conditioners
- DVD players
- battery-operated toys
- and other household electronic devices.
These items are also sometimes called e-scraps or end-of-life electronics.
Users often toss their e-waste out with the garbage. However, when electronic items are not properly recycled, heavy metals and other harmful substances pollute the soil and drinking water. These toxins can delay children’s mental development, decrease fertility in women, and cause anemia, digestive issues, blood disorders, and psychological impairments.
Several states are now instituting disposal bans in favor of requiring the reclamation of electronic devices. Reclamation is the process of repurposing items that would otherwise be thrown away, like electronics waste. E-waste can be collected and broken down into components that can be reused to manufacture new items. This saves valuable materials from going to landfills and polluting the environment.
How Does E-Waste Recycling Work?
After a person or business has placed their unwanted electronics in a recycle bin for pickup, Newtech Recycling collects and transports the e-waste to our R2 Recycling-certified facility.
Next, we shred and sort the items. Shredding involves breaking the items down into their components and then sorting those parts into categories such as reusable items or items that require further processing.
Any remaining tiny waste items are broken down into dust particles and safely disposed of. A magnetic separation process will divide steel and iron from other wastes, and water separation will divide the glass from the plastics.
Finally, Newtech Recycling identifies any leftover metals and removes them in the purification of the waste stream. The reusable materials are then prepared for reintroduction into the manufacturing process.
Newtech Recycling Offers Reclamation Solutions
It may seem like a daunting task to properly recycle e-waste. Fortunately, Newtech Recycling has the tools, resources, and expertise to manage the reclamation of all your office electronics.
Don’t let your unwanted tech harm the environment. Call Newtech Recycling today to learn more about how we can help you recycle your old electronics.
Related Terms: Electronic Recycling, TERRA, ITAD