Almost everyone is used to tossing items like glass and plastic into recycling bins. For many of the items we use every day, we know they have to be recycled and have easy access to recycling services. However, these aren’t the only things we need to worry about recycling, and not everything is as easy as putting something in your regular recycling bin and getting it picked up at your house. Most people use tech devices every day, and eventually, you’ll need to get rid of your current devices. When this time comes, you’ll need to find recycling services meant just for electronic equipment.
In many states, you’re legally required to recycle your old electronics, but even in areas where this isn’t mandatory, electronics recycling is still extremely important. If you aren’t familiar with how tech recycling works or why it’s important, now is the time to find out.
Why is Tech Recycling Important?
Since you use tech devices every day, you might not think of them as being dangerous in any way. While these devices are safe when they’re maintained, they can become extremely hazardous when they’re exposed to the elements in landfills. Toxins from old electronics can seep into the ground and nearby water. Many landfills also burn the materials they get, which causes additional concerns. Burning the materials inside of discarded electronics creates harmful smoke that puts workers at great risk and can travel far, affecting many people. The toxins in our electronics release a harmful impact on the health of people all over the world, as well as devastating effects on our environment. Unfortunately, many unwanted devices and electronics still end up in landfills every year, with there being millions of tons of e-waste in landfills.
Like all recycling programs, server recycling and other services help ensure that materials that can be reused see a second life. Many devices also contain precious metal that is in limited supply. You might not realize it, but your everyday devices contain materials like gold, silver, platinum, and copper. Once we’ve used up all these resources, there will be no way to get them back. Sending materials like this to waste away in landfills is a huge waste of resources that could have been reused had they been properly recycled. E-waste recycling keeps us from having to source new materials and requires less energy for new products to be made.
How are Electronics Recycled?
Electronics recycling can be difficult to understand and what exactly it entails depends on the materials. One of the most important parts of the recycling process is separating the materials in electronics. Electronics are shredded, which makes it easy for different elements of old devices and equipment to be removed. This means sorting through glass, plastic, and the precious metals found in electronics. Different methods of separation are used to retrieve different materials, such as powerful magnets used to separate iron and steel from the rest of the materials. These technologies help make separating materials from old electronics as efficient as possible and prevent any materials from being missed. After all the shredded materials are separated, they’re ready to be resold for new products.
What are Recycled Electronics Used For?
After all the materials are sorted and sold, you might be wondering where everything ends up. Recycled materials from old electronics can be reused for many products. Of course, many of the recycled materials from old recycles are ideal to use for new electronics. However, new electronics are far from the only thing recycled electronics can be used to make. For example, metals from old electronics can be used to create just about anything you would normally use metal for, like jewelry.
Find Out How Newtech Recycling Can Help
We all rely on technology to live our lives, so we’re all responsible for making sure our electronic waste is recycled correctly. Recycling your unwanted electronics might not be as simple as putting them in the recycling bin, but it doesn’t need to be difficult. E-waste recycling services and ITAD companies are vital in today’s society and will continue to be as we try to manage the growing e-waste problem. At Newtech Recycling, we know how detrimental e-waste can be and are dedicated to providing services that make it easy for you to recycle your unwanted electronics.
If you have old electronics that you don’t know what to do with or want to know more about how IT equipment recycling companies work, contact Newtech Recycling today.