Recently, we received a phone call at MAD Scientist & Associates from a local citizen searching for a means of recycling his old TV. While we don’t provide recycling services, or consulting recycling services, the citizen guessed that, based on the services advertised on our website, we are interested in sustainability and might be able to assist him. He was right: we are very interested in sustainability and are aware of many local programs that provide e-waste recycling. Recycling electronic products properly is critical as they contain multiple hazardous metals including lead, mercury and cadmium that, when disposed of improperly, can leach into the soil, air and water, contaminating these resources. When deciding what to do with your old cell phone, it may not seem that your single phone would not contribute significantly to the problem. However, your phone is one of millions of electronic gadgets that will be disposed of each year. In fact, the UN’s Environment Program estimates that 20-50 million metric tons of e-waste is generated each year.

For those who may be looking for a facility to recycle electronic devices, a good place to start in central Ohio is with The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO). While SWACO does not collect e-waste themselves, they do provide a list of e-waste recyclers in the area at www.swaco.org/RecycleElectronics.aspx.

One such company is Ohio eWaste recycling (www.ohioewaste.com), who for a small fee will accept most electronic items. They have a drop-off facility open Monday through Saturday, and also hold localized drop off events on specific dates. Check their website for dates and locations. Items with information storage capabilities that can not be re-purposed, are physically shredded so that your confidential information can not be obtained. After shredding the steel, plastic and metals are separated, sorted and for reuse.

If you have operable computers that you would like to donate to charity but are concerned about security issues, consider TechDisposal (www.techdisposal.com). They provide a complete audit of all your equipment, have several methods for destroying stored electronic information, and will provide you with a letter of indemnification and certificate of destruction. Clients can select a charity to have their computers directly donated to, or can choose to allocate the value of the donation to a particular charity.

With so many options for e-waste recycling, it should be easy to properly dispose of your used electronic devices.

~Jennie

http://www.environmentalconsultingohio.com/