Last year, 460 million pounds of electronics were collected and recycled in the U.S., a 53% increase from 2010, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.
Wondering what to do with your unwanted electronic devices?
The Wall Street Journal reporter Katie Boehret provides information on eight companies, including Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, and Dell, that accept non-working or otherwise unwanted items: When the Time Is Up for Your Old Gadgets - WSJ.com
(We’ve covered some of this e-cycling information on Tumblr here and here, and on the Unconsumption wiki here.)
Recycling Of Personal Electronics Rose 53 % In 2011 - PSFK
Some highlights from the First Annual Report of the eCycling Leadership Initiative [PDF link] as summarized by our friends at PSFK:
- Participants of the eCycling Leadership Initiative arranged for the responsible recycling of 460 million pounds of consumer electronics, a 53 percent increase over the 300 million pounds recycled in 2010.
- Electronics manufacturers and retailers increased the number of recycling drop-off locations for consumers nationwide to nearly 7,500 from just over 5,000 a year ago.
- By the end of 2011, 96 percent of the recycling done by eCycling Leadership Initiative participants was conducted in third-party certified recycling facilities.
- CEA launched GreenerGadgets.org to educate consumers about eCycling and energy consumption. By entering a ZIP code, anyone can locate the closest responsible recycling opportunity sponsored by the CE industry and/or third-party certified recycler.
Recycled electronic waste made into furniture by Rodrigo Alonso (N+ew: No More Electronic Waste).
From Rodrigo’s website:
(N+ew: No More Electronic Waste) Stool-sculpture-instalation, produced with electronic waste, epoxic resin and melted aluminum. Produced in limited editions, or special orders. Each is a single, unique piece; non is equal in its filling. Able to personalize.
Hand made.
This collection is posible thanks to the support of Recycla.
Apple iMacs upcycled into awesome “iMacquariums.”
(via TreeHugger)
Automated ecoATM e-cycling stations assess the condition of unwanted electronic devices, such as mobile phones; determine a dollar value for each item; and dispense cash (or store credit) to consumers for them on the spot. Depending on each item’s condition, the devices are later sold to resellers or refurbishers, who resell them on the secondary market, or are sent to smelters so metals — gold, platinum, silver — can be extracted and reused. The kiosks, currently available in California, Washington, and Missouri, also accept chargers, batteries, and other accessories.
When will an ecoATM be available at a location near you? EcoATM’s Web site says the company aims to “implement a large rollout of production units” in the U.S. later this year. (See corporate FAQs here.)
19 Ways To Recycle Old, Unused Hardware.
Slide show at: Make Cool PCB Sculptures - Picture Story - Tom’s Hardware
Via Metafilter
