Electronic waste, or e-waste, is a growing problem. The world is becoming increasingly reliant on technology, which means we have a lot of electronics. We produce more than 50 million tons of electronic waste (e-waste) worldwide annually. Electronic waste also includes chargers and battery cords, remote controls, power adapters, and other accessories often thrown away along with the device itself.
There are many dangers associated with e-waste. Some of the most dangerous include:
- Air pollution. When e-waste is burned, it produces toxic fumes that can drift into the surrounding area and cause harm to humans and animals. In some countries, this is a common way to dispose of e-waste and contributes to air pollution in those areas. As a result, many cities have banned the burning of trash since it releases harmful chemicals into the air.
- Water contamination from metals leaching from landfills where e-waste is buried underground over time due directly or indirectly through rainwater runoff carrying contaminants on topsoil surfaces; these contaminants may include heavy metals such as lead from cathode ray tube glass which was widely used until about the 1990s but still present today despite replacement technologies (LCD), cadmium from batteries/chargers etcetera; radioactive materials such as thorium dioxide
E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, growing at 5–12% per year. It contains toxic metals such as lead and mercury that can leach into soil and water. Like any other material, these devices need to be disposed of. Consider selling, returning, donating or recycling your devices to reduce the amount of e-waste headed for those landfills.
Sell it
You can find companies that refurbish electronics and resell them to sell your device. These companies take apart electronic devices and remove parts that aren’t working. They can then use the remaining parts in new products or sell them individually on the open market.
You can also sell your used electronic devices on Craigslist, eBay, or other online marketplaces. Since there is a growing need for second-hand electronics, these websites are good places to post information about what you’re selling and how much money you’re looking for in exchange for it. Another option is a pawn shop. If there’s one near where you live, this might be an easy way to make some extra cash with little effort (though they may require more paperwork).
Things to consider when selling:
- Make a list of items and their going prices in the current market. Then, decide on a fair price for your items based on their condition, age, and brand. You can get the best price by comparing your things with others in the same condition, age, and brand.
- If it’s broken, tell us what’s wrong with it. If something is missing or not working properly, clearly state the issue. If possible, provide photos of the item so we can see what’s going on and decide based on images alone.
- Be aware of regulations regarding the sale of e-waste. In addition, you’ll need to check local and international shipping laws and customs laws if you plan to ship your goods overseas.
Tip: Use the following Google search phrase to find buyers: electronic buyers near me
Return it
If you’re ready to ditch some old tech in exchange for cold hard cash, then it’s time for you to find out which companies offer recycling programs. Here are some companies that pay people for e-waste:
Best Buy
If you are a Best Buy Rewards member, you can earn points for giving old electronics to Best Buy. The more points you have, the better your rewards will be.
The number of points varies depending on the recycled item and its condition. But generally speaking, if an item is in good shape and is worth $10 or less, it will get one point. For example, if you recycle an old laptop from 2008 that still works fine but has been replaced with a new one by now, it will receive one point because it’s worth $10 or less (not considering inflation). If the same laptop were damaged beyond repair or something like that, then it would receive no points at all because there would be nothing to recycle here!
Samsung
Samsung is one of the most trusted names in electronics, and you can trust them to pay you for your old devices. They’ll take TVs, phones and tablets, appliances and laptops—and even gaming consoles. Their trade-in program makes recycling easy by providing free shipping labels that guarantee your device will be recycled responsibly.
Staples
Staples will pay you $10 for your phone, with a limit of two per day. You can also get $15 for your computer, with a limit of three per week. If you want to turn in multiple computers, Staples will pay $25 for them. Staples will also pay $50 for your monitor and printer.
Donate it
If you’re not using your electronic device anymore, consider donating it to a local school or charity organization. The Salvation Army has many options for donating your used electronics. You can find one near you here: https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/donations/donation-warehouses/electronics-donations
Recycle it
Recycling is the most popular option, but please consider it a last resort. Despite an eco-friendly approach, recycling usually leads to overseas shipping and dumping gadgets buried in pits. Worse, some recycling companies disguise it as philanthropy.
Many children in such countries earn their livelihoods by scavenging gold, silver, iron, and copper from tech waste that harms their health. Unfortunately, countries used as dumping grounds usually have high rates of cybercrime as the salvaged hard drives can give criminals direct access to your files and information.
Review your local and neighboring government websites for e-waste recycling options. Also, contact your local retailers or device manufacturers to determine options.
List of National Companies with e-Waste Programs
Regardless of what solution you apply to remove electronics from your household, you should delete all personal information from your electronics and remove batteries.
We are responsible for keeping electronics out of landfills in whatever way we can. We are the ones that create the e-waste problem, so we should be the ones to fix it. If you have old electronics, there are many ways you can donate them, sell them or recycle them before they end up in a landfill. The more people involved with donating and selling used electronics, the less likely they will end up on your city’s streets as trash or floating through our water supply as plastic particles.
We can keep our electronics out of landfills in so many ways. We can sell them, return them, donate them or recycle them. Each method has its benefits and drawbacks, but the most important thing is to do something with your old devices, so they don’t end up in a landfill.