Your Questions About Recycling
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Filed under Recycling Q & A
Carol asks…
who will take used electronics(monitors) for recycling?
The Expert answers:
Here, the city has a drive through recycling depot where citizens can take their e-waste for disposal. Companies aren’t allowed to use the depots as the companies must retain written documentation that they have properly disposed of the materials and they must pay for both recycling and garbage collection services. Many companies still take their e-waste to the depot, mostly due to the ignorance of their employees but all too often due to the lack of ethics with their management. Surprisingly few private citizens are even aware of the recycling depot.
Nancy asks…
Where do I take my old electronics?
I have some old monitors, speakers, keyboards, and some big chunky TVs. Where do I take them?
The Expert answers:
Best Buy recycles old electronics. I mean really old electronics. I recently took them a Windows ME computer and an old “brick” cellphone and one of those really old “bag” car phones. (They were amused and amazed at the car phone. No one had seen one before.)
Here’s the link to their recycle program.
Sandy asks…
Recycling computer question?
Can i just throw my old computer, keyboard, mouse, and the cpu box thing in a normal recycle bin. Or do you have to have recycled in those special electronics recycle program/thing?
The Expert answers:
No, you do not want to throw your electronics (of any sort) into a normal recycling bin with household items. Those items (bottles, cans, etc.) will go to a MRF (material recovery facility) where they are separated, baled, and sold directly to manufacturers to use in recycled products. Electronics must be treated differently, as their components must be separated. In the case of your computer, the metal in the “guts” must be separated from the glass in the screen and the plastic in which it is all housed. This is why “e-waste” must generally go to a special program.
There are a few cities in the U.S. That provide curbside electronics recycling, but not many. I would recommend you contact your local solid waste authority to see what they recommend for your easiest means of disposal. Where I live, our waste authority operates an electronics recycling program where residents can drop stuff off once a week. You may also consider Goodwill (if there’s a location in your area). They (and some other thrift/charity shops) have partnered with Reconnect Partnership to recycle computers and all computer accessories (working or not). Similarly, all Best Buy reatil locations can accept electronics for recycling. Simply call ahead for details.
Recycling electronics is important. Many contain hazardous materials, such as lead in tube-type TV screens and mercury in flat panel computer monitors. They also contain valuable materials, such as copper, gold, silver, glass, and plastic, and thus should not be sent to the landfill. So yes! You should recycle them, though you proabably cannot just toss them in your curbside bin.
Daniel asks…
Recycling old electronics for money?
I have lots of old electronics, such as an HP computer, an old analog TV set, a VCR, etc. My family and I are thinking about getting rid of them and we would like to recycle them. Are there any websites or stores that pay you to give them old electronics? By the way, my family doesn’t have a PayPal account, so we would really appreciate it if the corporation paid us in check or gift card.
Best answer gets 10 points! Thanks!
The Expert answers:
Google “sell old electronics” and a whole list of companies comes up.
Lisa asks…
Recycling old electronics in Northwest Pennsylvania?
I have recently replaced my old electronics with newer, modern ones. The older versions include an old box TV, a stereo system with speakers and a broken VCR/DVD. I know it’s illegal to just throw these into the trash. So, is there an institution somewhere in NW Pennsylvania, where I can take and recycle my old electronics?
Also please list ANY place that you may know in Northwest PA!! I am willing to drive there!! Thank in advance for your help!
The Expert answers:
Go to the Earth911 website
Enter in electronics and you zip code, or city and state.
It will give you a list of the closest places for you to choose from.
Linda asks…
Why do you have to pay to recycle electronics?
recycling electronics
The Expert answers:
The business model for recycling is a fee service, all recycling pickups are a fee service. You pay to unload your recyclables. If they happen to make any money selling your recyclables, that just helps defer their costs.
Mandy asks…
How do I dispose of broken electronics?
Lately several electronics of mine have been breaking (straightener, camera, ipod dock, etc). Is there a certain place I can take them so they’re not sitting in a dump leaking harmful things?
Any help would be great!
The Expert answers:
Recycle them
Check http://www.mygreenelectronics.org/ for a location close to you.
Laura asks…
How does electronic waste gets recycled? Does anyone know the actual process? What actually happens?
I am asking more about the actual process of recycling items such as computers. Does anyone know how the companies actually break down the ingredients?
The Expert answers:
Recycling electronics and appliances involves disassembling the machines, takes out a few valuable metals, then smashes the plastic to small bits. Various separators are used to sort out the different materials, which are then recycled separately.
There are a few areas in Europe that recycle electronics, but little in Americas, Asia, or Africa. Here in Florida, everything is put into land fills. Our county is poor and rural, has loose regulations, and has 5 new land fills in the last year. They are bringing in trash from hundreds of miles away to dump in our county. I think the money we are spending for global warming should be spent recycling all this trash instead of just burying it!
Joseph asks…
Need some recycling help.?
Hi I am doing a lot of summer cleaning and I found so many things that needs to be thrown out, but I want to know whether these items are recyclable and how to properly recycle them. So I need your help on which bin these materials go in or how to dispose them.
-Rubber – erasers, rubber toys, etc.
-Cloth objects – barbie and doll clothes, strings, etc.
-Batteries
-Wooden objects – blocks, worn out pencils and pencil crayons, etc.
-Wax – crayons, etc.
-Electrical and computer devices – broken electronic toys, old headphones, floppy discs, etc.
Also tell me which types of paper and plastics I cannot recycle. And suggest other common materials that I did not mention that could be recycled or not.
Note, all these objects are either worn out or in bad shape, so they really can’t be donated. I already kept a nice pile of items that I would donate to the local benevolent fund.
The Expert answers:
Many towns have different recycling programs.
Generally:
electronics and batteries are considered hazardous waste and need to go to a Hazardous Waste Collection Site.
Rubber toys, clothes, barbies, wooden toys, crayons etc can be donated to a local thrift store.
Plastic recycling varies: some communities take the 1-3 plastics, others will take 1-7. You have to call the Public Works department at your City Hall for that information.
All paper is recyclable except wax coated, food stained, construction paper, and ultra brights. Some communities require that they be separated (ie magazines. Newspapers, cardboard, mixed.) Again, Public Works can give you all the info~ they probably even have it on their website.
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