Computer Recycling Centers - How to Find Responsible Electronics Recycling Companies

Not long ago, CBS' "60 Minutes" program broadcast a story on e-waste and global dumping. The reporters followed a trail of electronic recycling items from a Denver-based company all the way to Hong Kong, China and caught the so-called "recycling" company red-handed engaging in global e-waste dumping.

With over 80% of recycled electronics and computers ending up as high-tech e-waste in developing countries such as China, India, and Africa, we need to step up as responsible citizens of the world and choose computer and electronics recycling companies very carefully. We must support only those electronics recycling companies that are running both a socially and an environmentally sound operation, end-to-end. To understand how global dumping occurs, it helps to first understand the business model for electronic recycling.

To sustain as a business, electronic recyclers must generate enough revenues from all its recycling and reuse services and the reclamation of precious metals and other recycling materials, minus operating costs and the cost of de-manufacturing those items that yield no value (yet harm the environment).

The difference between an environmentally responsible computer and electronics recycling company and an irresponsible one can be broken down as follows: a) the way they generate reuse revenues; b) how they reclaim precious metals and recycling materials; c) how they manage the de-manufacturing process of low-value, toxic elements.

Consider the precious metal reclamation process for a moment. A responsible company would need to invest in having a safe working environment with proper protective gear for it workers and proper waste treatment procedures to prevent environmental contamination. In addition, a responsible electronics recycling company will operate using specialized de-manufacturing equipment that protects the workers from the harmful materials or dust that escapes during the de-manufacturing process.

An irresponsible recycling company avoids any investment in the de-manufacturing area. In fact, irresponsible recycling companies never lay eyes on the workers who eventually break apart the leftover electronic parts. As seen in the "60 Minutes" program, those workers are typically low-paid laborers from remote villages, who use bare hands and primitive tools such as chisels and hammers to pry the precious materials from the discarded items. The final discarded parts are then dumped anywhere - in rivers or streams or burned in a swamp - causing major public health issues.

The most hazardous materials found in e-waste are not the reclaimed precious metals, but the low-value, toxic materials such as Mercury found in switches and flat screens and the brominated flame retardants used on printed circuit boards, cables and plastic casings. These are the materials that require major investment in the de-manufacturing process. In summary, the cost to operate a safe operating de-manufacturing facility makes responsible electronic recycling much more difficult than the much used alternate: global dumping.

Yielding to the higher reclaim prices offered by the irresponsible global dumpers, many so-called recycling collectors send their materials to irresponsible recyclers, who in turn "sell" the recycling cargo to exporters. A few handshakes later and the e-waste cargo arrives at the ports of the global village's poorest countries. Since the U.S. prohibits dumping of electronic waste in other countries, most of the e-waste cargo is shipped under the label "Used Equipment," whereas in fact most of the recycled electronic waste is either too old or too out-of-order to have any reuse value.

In order to identify a responsible recycling company, one must first be able to pinpoint the telltale signs that a recycling company engages in global dumping.

Irresponsible recycling companies:

Avoid educating the public about the e-waste crisis either on their company Web site or in their company marketing collateral. Irresponsible electronics recyclers make it look very easy so that the consumer won't ask any questions.
Omit details about how they track and manage the recycling process to avoid global dumping. Again, the less the consumer knows, the easier it is for an irresponsible electronics recycler to engage in some form of global dumping
Host greenwash events with reputable nonprofits that don't understand the proper recycling process. By making the electronics recycling process sound easy and by hiding under the guise of fundraising for schools, chambers of commerce, police association leagues and other nonprofits, these electronics recyclers further disarm the general public about "donating" their unwanted electronics at "fundraising" events.
Electronics recyclers participating at a greenwash fundraiser do not charge any recycling fees, yet generate enough funds to donate to the nonprofit and can still pay the high costs of de-manufacturing toxic elements. This business model doesn't exist because it is simply too good to be true. It's also an abuse of the goodwill of the nonprofits involved.

The truth is, these fundraising "recyclers" collect items that can be reclaimed for cash and then dump the rest on developing countries. They incur minimal handling costs by selling them as "exports." That is how 80% of computer and electronics recycling materials in the U.S. end up as e-waste in developing countries.


Fail to provide either a permanent address for their electronics recycling facility or a proper permit to operate as a recycler. Many use a P.O. Box or just a phone number that they publish during neighborhood pick-up campaigns. When you call, it always goes directly to an answering machine. There is no one available to tell you more about their services.

Now that you know how to identify an irresponsible electronic recycling company, let's review what a responsible electronics recycling company looks like.

Look for an electronics recycler who states a corporate commitment to addressing the global e-waste crisis.
Use computer and electronics recycling companies that actively educate the public about the e-waste crisis and the socially responsible way to recycle and de-manufacture.
Make sure your electronics recycling company can demonstrate its thorough process in evaluating reuse items, items for de-manufacturing and also its monitoring system to keep track of the entire de-manufacturing process.
Support electronics recyclers who use only U.S.-based de-manufacturing facilities that have the proper permits, de-manufacturing machines and processes and safety and health monitoring system for their workers.
Use computer and electronics recyclers that generate enough revenues from services to be able to allocate the proper budget toward responsible processing of toxic materials.
Choose an electronics recycler that is well respected by environmentalists who have been focused on the e-waste crisis. These environmentalists have seen firsthand how dumping occurs and are very knowledgeable about how to identify responsible recyclers.

GreenCitizen, Inc., is a socially responsible recycling company addressing the global e-waste crisis. GreenCitizen currently has three recycling centers located in the San Francisco Bay Area, one in San Francisco at 591 Howard Street (at 2nd Street;) one in Burlingame at 801 Mahler Road, Suite I (just north of the Hyatt) and one in downtown Palo Alto at 161 Homer Ave (next door to Peet's Coffee and Whole Foods Market). Find out more about electronics recycling and how to help stop global dumping at http://www.greencitizen.com/ now! Join http://www.greencitizen.com/Community/home.php an eco-conscious community and plant some green wisdom of your own with like-minded citizens.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Recycling Electronics for a Greener Planet

Currently, only about 12.5% of electronics end up getting recycled out of the 4 billion tons electronic waste found in the land fills. What are some of the most rampant electronic waste found in the dump sites?

In America alone, about 40 million of computers and televisions are being thrown out by consumers. Mobile phones are another major contributor to the waste heap, being replaced or thrown out every 18 months by about 1.2 billion mobile cellphone users. Out of the billion units being used, 400 million have already been trashed in 2005 alone. These devices and equipment have summed up to the 4 billion tons of electronic waste each year.

Most of the consumers today fall victim to the massive production of electronics in the market. Modern people, specially the younger generation, has been relying on electronic devices for convenience and instant solutions. The planet pays a bigger price of giving in to these indulges and conveniences by having land fills full of toxic and unused resources. Electronic printed boards, gadgets, and casings can leave about amounts of lead, cadmium, chromium, zinc, copper, mercury, and nickel - these are only a few of the 100 toxins left in electronic waste.

These harmful chemicals, when not properly disposed and processed for recycling, find their way into the natural soil in the land fills. This contributes greatly to soil pollution - making the earth unable to hold or grow green life and flows out to nearby water systems. These chemicals can seep through the layers of soil into underground water sources that can flow into bigger water bodies like rivers or lakes. Some electronic waste end up carelessly being incinerated - releasing the chemical toxins to the atmosphere. Electronic waste, when not recycled and recovered properly can become a threatening problem for our green planet. And sad to say, not even the 12.5% being recycled in the 4 billion tons of electronic waste is really properly recycled.

You might end up wondering then how the 12.5% end up not being properly recycled. Although some recycling companies have become more active with the demand for recycling electronics, the waste is not assured to undergo the proper recovery processes. Countries that have large volume of e-waste usually supply the unscrupulous businesses that smuggle prohibited surplus to other countries that do not have recycling regulations. Favorite dump sites for this type of e-waste smuggling are third world countries like in China or in some parts of Africa. Although some e-waste can be repaired and can still be used by the recipient countries - the risk of recovery processes do not lessen the hazardous effects the imported e-waste can now impart to the new soil they will be inhabiting.

The solution for better e-waste recycling would be better research and investment. Research can enable funds to discover or invent a process that can make the e-waste recovery process much faster, safer, and affordable by individual homes so there is no more bulky tons of e-waste in the land fills. Proper segregation can help in most dumping sites as well. Capitalist should venture in electronics recycling so they can have a better use of their money.

As a private electronics consultant, Cameron Tacassi works with electronic equipment daily. From rf chip inductors and ferrite chokes to pulse transformers and smt coils he knows them all and has used them all. His most common jobs involve adding ferrite chokes to computers and business electronics.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Electronics Recycling Made Easy

What do lead, cadmium, beryllium and brominated flame retardants all have in common other than being serious contaminants? They're all by-products of processing electronic waste and cause serious health and pollution problems. Thus, one thing better than electronics recycling is the reuse of electronics products. In following, electronics recycling requires the implementation of high standards for the sake of avoiding unsafe exposure as well as leaching of materials such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes.

Although not all electronics recycling companies recycle the whole gambit of "Electronic waste," they usually hit on the bigger numbered products such as cell phones. Technically speaking, electronic waste may be defined as all secondary computers, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, and other items such as television sets and refrigerators, whether sold, donated, or discarded by their original owners. This definition includes used electronics which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal. Others define the reusables (working and repairable electronics) and secondary scrap (copper, steel, plastic, etc.) to be "commodities", and reserve the term "waste" for residue or material which was represented as working or repairable but which is dumped or disposed or discarded by the buyer rather than recycled, including residue from reuse and recycling operations.

Electronics Recycling, rates up there in importance with aluminum recycling, glass recycling, recycling plastic, and recycling cans. They all make up an important part, thus start to a recycling regimen. No matter who you are, you're only helping you and your loved ones when you adhere to a recycling program.

There's a rise in electronics recycling and curbside recycling programs available in communities throughout our country. As you may know recycling is politically right these days and if you're anything like me you run as fast as you can away from anything with the 'p' (politicians) word in it. The corruption runs rampid amongst our parasitical representatives in government, but recycling really is a good thing. It's true the criminals on Capitol Hill are and have been playing the environment card to destroy our manufacturing base in America, which has moved from the 70 percentile in the 50s to 12 percent present day. It's a shame what they have done to our country and what's more a shame is that we've allowed them. That's a different story for a different time. It just so happens that the degenerates in Washington actually have hit on the promotion of something that is good and important in its physical form rather than its political form.

Electronics recycling comes under this umbrella. There's programs out there and online where companies will pick-up your electronics recycling products from your doorstep free of charge - as in free shipping. Not only that, but I'm involved with a company that will actually provide a tax deductible donation acknowledgment, that allows you to decide how much the electronics recycling products you're donating are worth. This is what I was saying earlier. The fact that recycling is politically right provides for these little perks where the government encourages it, thus allow these tax deductible donation acknowledgments. Hence, you'll actually save money at the end of the tax year when you get rid of your used electronics products. Thus, you can only win by saving yourself some money at tax time, creating free space in your home, and by knowing that your electronics products are not going to pollute our landfills, all free of charge. Electronics recycling made easy!

Joseph Zabrosky
If you're ready to do some electronics recycling by freeing up some space in your house, having your electronics picked up for free, and saving some money on your taxes, go to the link below to get started.

http://www.enviro-cleanrecycling.com

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Lowers electronics recycling my taxes?

If it it have heard you the first time, I am glad to say that it is true. Electronics recycling, is politically right along with most other types of recycling, so there are companies, which offer tax deductible donation recognition, where you how much decide your donated items it gently with your taxes at the end of the tax year are value by filling out the set on the recognition and submission. This would mean in a few words that your participation in the electronics recycling reduces your taxes! Not only that, but it helps you to get to keep more free space in your respective stables and costing you not a dime, as most offers free shipping online electronics recycling companies.

One might ask, "what is the attraction of used electronics except channel it in electronics recycling storage?, fact differentials surplus electronics have extremely high costs." A single repairable laptop can spend hundreds of dollars, while a cathode ray tube is over (CRT) is very difficult and expensive to recycle useful. This has created a difficult market economy. Large amounts of used electronics are typically sold to countries with very high repair capability and high raw material demand, which can result in high accumulations of residue in poor areas without strong environmental laws. Outside of electronics recycling, the Basel Convention controlled trade electronic waste. The Basel Convention parties have as the question of whether exports hazardous electronic devices used for repair or refurbishment of import and export are controls under this Convention Basel Convention of hazardous wastes subject to. The guidelines on this topic this question was produced until the parties, however, Group believed in establishing all present Parties, that if material is not tested or dangerous parts which are replaced as part of the repair process, and then the Convention to apply.

As Virgin material mining has electronics recycling of electronic waste concern about toxicity and carcinogenicity of some of the substances and processes. Toxic substances in electronic waste may contain lead, mercury and cadmium. Carcinogenic substances in the electronic equipment may include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Capacitors, transformers, and wires with isolation or components coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), manufactured before 1977, contain often dangerous amounts of PCBs.

Increased regulation of electronic recycling of electronic waste, and disposal costs has raised concern about the damage on the environment toxic electronic waste from it can be. The regulation creates an economic scare off to remove residues prior to the export. In extreme cases, brokers and others who export to recyclers E-waste unshielded in developing countries, avoiding the cost of removing items like bad cathode ray tubes (whose processing is expensive and difficult). This electronics recycling look bad.

Defender of the trade in used electronics say that also extraction of metals from Virgin mining has been moved to the developing countries. Hard-rock mining of copper, silver, gold and other materials from electronics extracted recycling is considered to be far more polluting than true Electronics is the recycling of materials. Also, explain that the repair and reuse of computers and television sets a "lost art" in wealthier nations, and the renovation has become a model for development has been traditionally.

With all this said we are pleased that America has strict standards relative to the EPA provisions. The details on toxicity and electronics recycling in General seems like a bunch of technical dogma or a high heap of electronic waste. This is, why I like just as in electronics recycling reduces to keep my taxes!

Joseph Zabrosky
When ready to do you some electronics recycling through releasing space in your home, go for free pick up your used electronics with us and save money on your taxes on the link below to get started.

http://www.Enviro-cleanrecycling.com

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Electronics Recycling Helps!

How does electronics recycling help? One cell phone can contaminate one hundred fifty-eight gallons of water? Two and a half ounces of oil are used to make one ink-jet cartridge, and in 2004 the number of ink-jet cartridges thrown away, if stacked end-to-end, would circle the earth? In short, electronics recycling helps not only you, but everyone around you. It's one of those things where what you do personally actually helps others.

Electronics recycling has been ramped up via rapid technology change, low initial cost, and planned obsolescence. This makes for a fast-growing surplus of electronic waste around the world. Electronic waste is a "rapidly expanding" problem. Technical solutions are available, but in most cases a bundle of prerequisites such as legal framework, a collection system, logistics, and other services need to be implemented before application of that technical solution. Whether its been applied or not, electronics recycling, in the present, helps.

In America, an estimated seventy percent of heavy metals in landfills comes from discarded electronics, while electronic waste represents only two percent of America's trash in landfills. The EPA says that unwanted electronics totaled two million tons in 2005 and that discarded electronics represented five to six times as much weight as recycled electronics - hats off to electronics recycling! So it makes sense when the Consumer Electronics Association estimates that U.S. households spend an average of fourteen hundred dollars annually on an average of twenty-four electronic items, leading to speculations of millions of tons of valuable metals in desk drawers. Relative to this, the U.S. National Safety Council estimates that seventy-five percent of all personal computers ever sold are dust collectors - surplus electronics. Moving on to mobile phones, seven percent of cell phone owners still throw away their old ones. That's a large market for electronics recycling on a national level.

The importance of electronics recycling is evident when taking a closer look at electronic waste. Up to thirty-eight separate chemical elements are incorporated in electronic waste. Many of the plastics used in electronic equipment contain flame retardants. These are typically halogens added to the plastic resin, making the plastics difficult to recycle. Because the flame retardants are additives, they easily leach off the material in hot weather. This causes a problem because when disposed of, electronic waste is normally left outside and the flame retardants leach into the soil. Recorded levels are ninety-three times higher than soil with no contact with electronic waste. The unsustainability of discarding electronics and computer technology is a great reason to advocate electronics recycling or re-using electronic waste.

If you would like to help us with America's, and the world's, electronics recycling problem, we promise to help you by clearing out some space in your home, and saving you some money at tax time. It won't cost you a penny to do what is right as we can show you how to do all of this utilizing free shipping. In other words your recycled items will be picked up at your doorstep for free. You will also have available to you a Tax Deductible Donation Acknowledgment that will be filled with an amount you believe the electronics you just donated are worth. This can be used to claim on your taxes at the end of the year. Electronics recycling, or I should say recycling in general, is politically right these days, affording us this special opportunity.

Joseph Zabrosky
If you're ready to do some electronics recycling by freeing up some space in your house, having your electronics picked up for free, and saving some money on your taxes, go to the link below to get started.

http://www.enviro-cleanrecycling.com

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Electronics Recycling: Saving Money, And Saving The Environment

Electronics recycling is the wave of the future. It is a great way of saving money, of making money, and of saving the environment all at the same time. Everyone has an old electronic gadget laying around and collecting dust somewhere. It could be an old printer, or a copy machine. It might be a cell phone or an old TV. Could be an old computer, or an old stereo. Anything with circuit boards is an electronic gadget, even something as simple as a remote control.

First let's talk about how you don't recycle electronics. You don't recycle them by throwing them in a landfill. You don't recycle them by tossing them down the bank on some back road. You don't recycle them by tossing them in a heap in the woods on your back 40. These might seem like simple solutions, but they aren't. They hurt the environment and can cost you money.

So how does electronics recycling work? Well, there are many ways. You could give them to a charitable organization such as Absolute Green Electronics Recycling and receive a tax deduction. You could give an old computer and printer to your church. You might donate something to your local library or senior center. There are many worthy places for the donation of old electronics. I'm sure you can think of a few more on your own.

Another method of recycling electronics is to sell them. There are many ways to do this. Have a yard sale. Put an advertisement in your local newspaper. Offer it to family and friends. don't forget your local pawn shop. You can sell your old electronic gadgets online at eBay or other auction sites. Amazon is a good site for selling electronic gadgets. You'll be saving money, making money, and saving the environment.

Many communities offer recycling pickup once or twice a year. You put your electronic material that you want to recycle in special containers, or just leave it on the curb. The city picks it up and sends it to recycle centers. Many stores offer electronics recycling also. Some accept your gadgets free, some pay you, and some charge you a small fee for certain objects. There are many companies that just do electronic recycling. They will pick up your items or you can drop them off. These companies are a simple solution to getting rid of items you don't want anymore.

So what does electronic recycling have to do with saving the environment? Electronic gadgets can contain over 100 toxic substances such as lead, chromium, and mercury. When improperly disposed of these can leak into the soil and ground water making it unsafe to use or drink. Although studies have said that throwing electronics in landfills is safe there are many people who have their doubts.

Electronics also contain useful and precious metals such as nickel, copper, and gold. These can be recycled which cuts the need for environmentally damaging strip mining. Thousands of miles of copper wire are just thrown away each year.

As you can see electronics recycling will help in saving money and greatly aid in saving the environment.

Orange County and Los Angeles Green Electronics Recycling. Use Absolute Green Electronics Recycling as your number one electronics recycler.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.