Everyone knows why recycling paper and cardboard is important, but no one really talks about recycling electronics. Most people are at a loss when it comes to what to do with their old devices. A lot of the time they end up collecting dust in your basement, or worse, they are improperly disposed of which negatively impacts the environment. This blog post gives you a crash course on electronic recycling and why it’s important!

1. Recycling Provides Manufacturers More Materials To Make New Items

Recycling is an excellent way to give manufacturers the raw materials needed to produce new devices. The process of gathering raw materials is expensive and harsh on the environment. When you recycle your old appliances, you reduce the need to find raw materials, which makes the manufacturing process for laptops, toasters, and tablets more energy efficient.

In the long run, the simple act of recycling will save manufacturers money, which brings with the possibility of consumer savings. By collectively recycling we can drop the price of making electronic devices and make them more accessible.

2. You Can Donate Old Electronics To Charities

Donating is an excellent way of recycling your old electronics. If you remember the three “R”’s of recycling, reusing is one of the most important ones. There are many charities and nonprofit organization that can benefit from you donating something as small as an old keyboard.

If you’re a business that updates their technology department on a fixed schedule, donating your old electronics is an excellent option for you. Donation ensures your electronics aren’t thrown into landfills where they can take millions of years to degrade. Donating your old electronics may even benefit your company during tax season.

3. Some Places Will Pay You For Your Old Electronics

Sometimes money is the incentive people need to recycle. Fortunately, many electronic recycling depots will pay you in exchange for your old devices. This can be an excellent way to make a little cash on the side while helping the environment. If you have a business that disposes large amounts of electronics at one time, you might be able to work out a deal with the recycling depot.

4. Properly Recycling Your Materials Ensures Your Company’s Data Is Protected

Properly recycling your electronics is essential for data security. If you just toss an old hard drive in a dumpster, anyone can go in and reconstruct the data, even if you deleted everything. Most businesses have confidential client information on their old electronic devices and can’t afford a data breach. Taking your old data devices to a recycling plant ensures all your data is destroyed before being recycled.

5. Electronic Recycling Is An Easy Way To Protect The Environment

Unfortunately, the importance of recycling electronics isn’t stressed enough. Computers and other devices contain many hazardous chemicals and materials that make them a threat to the environment. The majority of improperly handled electronics end up in 3rd world countries where they don’t have the resources to dispose of the electronics properly. Electronics produce “e-waste” which can contaminate water supplies and end up poisoning people and livestock.

Recycling electronics also has a positive effect on creating green jobs revolving around recycling. Studies predict that by 2018 there will be over 10 billion electronic devices in use. As we continue to adopt new technology, recycling our electronics will become more and more important.

If you’re having trouble convincing someone to recycle their electronics, just show them this article. Not only is it the “right” thing to do, but there are also many incentives that come with recycling your electronics. Electronic recycling is an excellent way to do your part for the environment, contribute to reducing the costs of making electronics and a chance for you to possibly make some money in the process.