Did you know that Americans produce nearly 10 million tons of electronic waste annually? According to the EPA, a mere 12.5% of e-waste is recycled. Let’s broaden our scope a bit and look at the nearly 50 million tons of e-waste produced worldwide while we’re at it!

The Problem with E-Waste

Electronic waste has become one of the fastest growing waste streams in our society. It is estimated that a mere 15 - 20% of e-waste is recycled appropriately, whereas 100% of e-waste is essentially recyclable. Electronics make up a large amount of hazardous materials such as lead, nickel and mercury, which can release toxins into landfills and our environment.

Businesses and individuals alike are forced to replace aging devices to keep up in our technology driven era. What happens when you replace those devices? What do you do with your old computers, laptops, routers and switches? It’s easy to see that with advancements in technology standards, the need for recycling aging devices is ever increasing.

Electronic Waste Recycling

Although many e-waste components are mostly free to recycle, specific electronics may require a recycling fee due to the hazardous materials found in electronic devices such as:

LCD Monitors

Keyboards / mice

Copiers / printers

Computers / servers

Flash drives / hard drives

Switches / routers / modems

Recycling Resources

While Platinum Systems does not offer removal of aging business electronics, we hope the resources linked below will provide you with a good place to start while you develop a recycling plan.

National Conference of State Legislatures

http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/e-waste-recycling-legislation.aspx

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Ecycle/

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

http://www.epa.illinois.gov/topics/waste-management/electronics-recycling/index

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

http://dnr.mo.gov/ecyclemo/where.htm