There are a lot of myths surrounding electronics recycling and e-waste. Here are the facts that will debunk some of the more common myths you might have heard.
E-waste Goes To Landfills
One very common myth is that, even when you recycle your electronics, e-waste still ends up in landfills. However, that is not true and any certified recycling center can process e-waste so it doesn’t end up in landfills. The next time you want to prevent contributing to e-waste in landfills, look online for “ecoATMs near me.”
Local E-waste Recyclers Take It
It is a serious myth that throwing your electronic waste in the trash will send it to a sorting facility, where the recyclers take it out of the rest of the garbage to process it. However, it is not feasible for electronics recycling facilities to send people to scour landfills for tech among the tons of trash that each city produces every day. Recyclers have much larger concerns besides e-waste too. That means the only way to ensure your devices are recycled, is to take them to an appropriate location.
Recycling Electronics Can Leak Your Information
While it is understandable, recycling your electronics through a reputable recycler can ensure that your devices are responsibly handled and that your information doesn’t end up in someone else’s hands. Businesses and individuals store critical information on their devices. Both try to do a factory reset and throw their items in the trash.
However, data thieves can still retrieve the information on them if they acquire the devices. The next time you want to ensure your device is clean before recycling it, do some research on the recycler, such as Googling “What is ecoATM?” to ensure you know who is handling your information.
Millions of dollars of precious metals end up in landfills every year because people throw out their cell phones. Instead, recycle your devices. That conserves energy and recycles precious materials. It only takes a little extra effort to recycle your e-waste. However, the benefits make that effort worthwhile.