New Electronic Gadgets Galore! But what should you do with the Old Stuff?

EPA News Release (Region 3):
Contact: Donna Heron, 215-814-5113 or heron.donna@epa.gov

PHILADELPHIA (February 26, 2009) — The holidays are behind us and gifts of new electronic devices ranging from cell phones to televisions are making us smile. This year as broadcast television switches to an all digital broadcast format, TVs were at the top of many gift lists. Now what do you do with those old electronics?

Don’t put your old electronics out with the trash! Think Green and recycle ‘em! Rather than making products from scratch, recycling electronics — also known as e-cycling — keeps harmful toxins out of the waste stream, recovers valuable materials that can be reused, conserves virgin resources, and results in lower emissions (including greenhouse gases).

Many people want to know how their families can help protect the environment. Recycling electronics makes a significant contribution — recycling just one computer CPU and one monitor is equivalent to preventing 1.35 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from being released. Recycling one television prevents four to eight pounds of lead from the CRT glass from being added to the waste stream.

By banding together, we can accomplish truly impressive results:
➢    Recycling one million desktop computers prevents the release of greenhouse gases equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 17,000 passenger cars.
➢    Recycling one million cell phones saves enough energy to power more than 19,000 U.S. households with electricity for an entire year.

Here’s how you can become an e-cycler:
➢    Visit your new product manufacturer’s website to see if they have a recycling program. Some will recycle your old electronic equipment for free or a small fee.
➢    Contact your local city, municipality, or solid waste district to see when they will be sponsoring collection events for electronics. For contacts in the mid-Atlantic region, go to: www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/eCycling/index.htm

* Find recyclers and collection sites near you by checking websites like:
➢    www.earth911.org, or by calling 1-800-CLEANUP, to find collection sites and events in your ZIP code.
➢    www.eiae.org – The Electronic Industries Alliance – To locate e-cyclers in your state.
➢    www.techsoup.org – TechSoup for information on computer reuse.
➢    www.rbrc.org – To locate cell phone and rechargeable battery collection sites at a retailer near you.

For more information on E-Cycling go to: www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/eCycling/index.htm