Record 300 Million Pounds of Electronics Recycled through E-Cycle Washington
As an E-Cycle Washington Partner, we’re excited by the news that 300 million pounds of electronics have recently been recycled through the program. E-Cycle Washington, which started seven years ago, is a program created to provide a resource of information about where individuals and companies can recycle their electronics for free.
The 300 million pound total includes an estimated 220 million pounds of TVs, 56 million pounds of monitors and 24 million pounds worth of computers. This program shows why recycling old electronics is so important to the environment as more than 98 percent of the metal, glass and plastic in the recycled products was recycled, and 20 million pounds of toxic lead was kept out of the landfill.
According to the E-Cycle Washington website, “along with the estimated 6.5 million TVs, computers and monitors that were recycled through the E-Cycle program, more than 280,000 TVs, computers, and monitors were given new life after being sold or donated through reuse organizations like Goodwill, InterConnection, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, and others.”
With Earth Month coming up, we want to ensure that we continue our good work, making sure that electronics don’t end up in landfills, but instead end up safely recycled or being used again by someone in need.
You can help by donating your used electronics to InterConnection. Every donation helps further our mission of spreading access to technology to under-served individuals in our community and beyond.
Some Facts About E-Waste
1. E-waste represents 2% of America’s trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall toxic waste.
2. We generate around 40 million tons of electronic waste every year, worldwide. That’s like throwing 800 laptops every second.
3. By 2017, the volume of discarded e-products worldwide is expected to be 33 per cent higher than in 2012 and weigh the equivalent of eight of the Great Pyramids of Egypt.
4. Americans dump phones containing over $60 million in gold/silver every year.
5. A 2015 United Nations study found the U.S. is the world’s biggest producer of electronic waste, more than one million tons ahead of China.
Make a Difference Today!
Find a Drop-Off Location | Mail-In Your Laptop or Cell Phone | Schedule a Pick-Up
View the List of Items We Accept