While E-waste is a worldwide problem that affects everyone, from household consumers to business leaders, commercial facilities are some of the biggest contributors. If you’re not familiar with E-waste and the statistics surrounding it, keep reading to learn four surprising facts you didn’t know about commercial E-waste recycling.
Only a Small Portion of E-Waste Is Recycled
Despite growing efforts to educate business owners and consumers about E-waste recycling, we collectively recycle only a small percentage of all E-waste—about 12.5 percent. There is much room for growth in this statistic, especially from commercial facilities. Some of the biggest contributors to E-waste are commercial industries such as manufacturing and construction.
E-Waste Recycling Saves Precious Materials
Did you know that recycling E-waste can save valuable raw materials such as precious metals? Electronics such as smartphones, circuit boards, computers, and televisions contain precious metals like copper, silver, gold, and palladium. The raw materials in smartphones are worth about 60 million dollars! When we throw away electronics, we contribute to E-waste and the production of toxic byproducts, and we’re wasting valuable resources.
Recycling Equals Energy Savings
On top of saving precious resources, E-waste recycling can result in energy savings. By recycling one million laptops each year, we could save the energy it takes to power 3,657 U.S. homes in a year! Retired smartphones, laptops, and other electronics can be recycled and reused to create new energy. Additionally, the materials we recover from these items would result in less harmful mining for raw materials.
Recycling E-Waste Creates Jobs
It takes a lot of effort to recycle E-waste and encourage more responsible disposal habits. E-waste recycling efforts create jobs all over the nation. Whether the new jobs involve sorting and collection or figuring out the logistics of a facility, this process can meet many employment needs.
After learning these surprising facts about commercial E-waste recycling, you may be inspired to practice electronics recycling at your own commercial facility. If so, you can count on Evergreen IT Solutions to handle your E-waste in San Jose. We provide local collection bins, cleanouts, data destruction, and a variety of other services to suit your business.
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