Recycling e-waste is important because it keeps toxic waste out of landfill and provides many benefits to the environment. The precious metals extracted from recycled electronics can be reused to make new products, saving energy, reducing pollution and protecting the earth’s natural resources by reducing the need to mine for raw materials.

4 important reasons to recycle your e-waste

1. E-waste is the fastest-growth waste stream in the world

We live in a throwaway society where electronic gadgets are quickly discarded when newer, more attractive products come to market. As a result, electronic waste is becoming the fastest-growth waste stream in the world, with an estimated 50 million tonnes of e-waste expected to be generated by 2020. E-waste includes end-of-life computers, mobiles, laptops, mobile phones, printers, hard drives and servers.

2. E-waste contains toxic chemicals

Despite the growth in consumption of electronics, only 20% of global e-waste is formally recycled, with the remaining 80% being incinerated or dumped in landfill, with potentially disastrous consequences for the environment. Most electronic devices contain toxic materials such as mercury and lead as well as other harmful chemicals which, when disposed of improperly, can pollute the air and soil and seep into water sources.

3. E-waste contains recyclable materials

Clearly, disposing of end-of-life electronic equipment in the correct manner is essential to protect the environment. But did you know that virtually all e-waste also contains some form of recyclable material that can be used to manufacture new products? Glass, plastic and metals such as gold, aluminium and copper can all be stripped from old electronics and reused to make new ones.

4. Recycling e-waste protects the earth’s natural resources

Obtaining and recycling materials from e-waste limits the need to mine them from the earth and helps to conserve natural resources worldwide. According to the United Nations, metal deposits in e-waste are up to 40 to 50 times richer than ore extracted from mines. So, not only does recycling precious metals conserve the earth’s resources, it is also a more efficient way to obtain them.

How to recycle e-waste for your business

A WEEE-compliant IT recycling company will take the headache out of recycling your business e-waste. Not only will they collect the unwanted electrical items from your premises, they will also ensure that any confidential data is removed and securely destroyed before recycling your goods for reuse as new products.

Advantages of working with a computer recycling company

Working with an Environment Agency-registered and ISO-compliant computer recycling company such as Secure Data Recycling offers a number of benefits for your business:

• provides confidence that your e-waste is recycled to industry standards
• removes the hassle of computer disposal, freeing up your time for more critical business needs
• reduces your company’s carbon footprint
• provides opportunities to promote your environmental credentials
• ensures secure data destruction to protect your customers’ privacy

Promote Global Recycling Day: contact us today!

To celebrate Global Recycling Day on 18 March, SDR are promoting the importance of recycling computers and gadgets to help protect the environment. Help us support Global Recycling Day! Contact one of our experts for more information on how to reduce your carbon footprint by safely recycling of your computers.