Jump to main content.

Frequent Questions

General Information on E-Waste
How to Recycle or Donate Used Electronics
Benefits of Reuse/Recycling
Electronics Recycler Certification
Plug-In To eCycling

circuit board

General Information on E-Waste

How much e-waste is in the waste stream?

Consumer electronics – including TVs and other video equipment, computers, assorted peripherals, audio equipment, and phones – make up almost two percent of the municipal solid waste stream, as tracked in the Municipal Solid Waste Characterization Report. Although electronics comprise a small percentage of the total municipal solid waste stream, the quantity of electronic waste that we are generating is steadily increasing. In 2007, discarded TVs, computers, peripherals (including printers, scanners, faxes), mice, keyboards and cell phones totaled about 2.5 million tons.

How much e-waste is recycled?

IIn 2007, approximately 18 percent (414,000 tons) of discarded TVs and computer products were collected for recycling. Cell phones were recycled at a rate of approximately 10 percent. For more information see Electronics Waste Management in the United States.

How much e-waste is exported?

To date, we have only examined export of CRTs. In 2005, approximately 61 percent (about 107,500 tons) of CRT monitors and TVs collected for recycling were exported for remanufacture or refurbishment. The next largest portion, about 14 percent (or 24,000 tons) was CRT glass sold to markets abroad for glass-to-glass processing.

What are the substances of potential concern in electronics?

Lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants are among the substances of concern in electronics. These substances are included in the products for important performance characteristics, but can cause problems if the products are not properly managed at end of life.

Lead is used in glass in TV and PC cathode ray tubes as well as solder and interconnects; older CRTs typically contain on average 4 lbs of lead (sometimes as much as 7 lbs in older CRTs), while newer CRTs contain closer to 2 lbs of lead.

Mercury is used in small amount in bulbs to light flat panel computer monitors and notebooks.

Brominated flame retardants are widely used in plastic cases and cables for fire retardancy; the more problematic ones have been phased out of newer products but remain in older products.

Cadmium was widely used in ni-cad rechargeable batteries for laptops and other portables. Newer batteries (nickel-metal hydride and lithium ion) do not contain cadmium.

Are cell phones that are collected for reuse or recycling going to be managed in a safe way?

Most cell phones that are collected in the US go either to a charitable organization for reuse or to a relatively small number of US companies who refurbish them for reuse and recycle those that cannot be reused. Although there is some market for used cell phones in the US (such as domestic abuse programs), the principal markets for used and refurbished cell phones are in Latin America and South America. The marketing of used cell phones in these developing economies avails many people the access to modern communication technology who would not otherwise be able to afford it. In nearly all cases, collected cell phones that are obsolete or irreparable are sent to environmentally sound smelters in Canada or Europe for recovery of copper and precious metals.

What products can be made from the materials recovered by recycling cell phones?

Almost all of the materials used to manufacture a cell phone can be recovered to make new products. Metals, plastics, batteries and the packaging materials can be recycled and turned into new products.

Cell phones contain a number of different metals - gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, copper, tin, lead, brass and zinc - that can be extracted and recovered in the recycling process. The recovered metals can be used by a number of different industries such as jewelry, plating, electronics, plumbing, automotive, and art foundries. Products that can be manufactured from the recovered materials include automotive catalytic converters, plumbing faucets and piping, and gold or silver jewelry.

The plastic on the cell phone can also be recycled. It can be recycled into new products as garden furniture, license plate frames, non-food containers and replacement automotive parts. Due to its high thermal value, the plastic could alternatively be used as a fuel.

The cell phone packaging materials can also be recycled and made as a component of fiber board manufacture. When the rechargeable battery can no longer be reused, the battery can be recycled into other rechargeable battery products.

men looking at electronics

How to Recycle or Donate Used Electronics

Where can I find a place to recycle my electronics?

For organizations providing information on electronics donation and recycling opportunities in your area, please visit our Where Can I Donate My Old Computer and Other Electronic Products? page.

As a business, how do I choose between sending my used electronic equipment for reuse or recycling?

Define clear objectives of what you want to be done with the equipment and the ultimate disposition of the equipment and/or component parts. Consider asking yourself the following questions:

Reuse and Donation

Do you want to provide a community service by donating equipment?
Do you want a tax deduction for your contribution (ensure that the organization is a not-for-profit corporation as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (501(c) tax exempt status)?
What are your data security needs?

Demanufacture/Recycle

What are your data security needs?
Do you want your equipment back out in the resale market place?
Do you want the equipment demanufactured into raw materials (i.e. metals, plastics, glass) to be marketed as recyclables?
Do you want the equipment destroyed?

What should I consider when donating my computer for reuse?

There are many options for donating computers today. Here are a few questions to ask before donating your used equipment. First, is the computer fairly new? If it is too old, (five years or older) it may not be able to run the same software that other computers do. Second, will the recipient be able to use it, or refurbish it for use? If the equipment is too old, or requires repairs, it may not be economical to fix it for reuse. Third, does the computer have any sensitive personal or business information on it that needs to be cleansed? Will the receiving organization remove the data or do you need to remove it yourself?

For more information on clearing data from computer equipment and donating computers, see Do the PC Thing. Additionally, the TechSoup Web site can help you identify organizations that refurbish computer equipment for reuse.

What should I do with my cell phone before I donate or recycle it?

Prior to donating or recycling your cell phone, there are three things you need to do:

Terminate your service.
Clear the phone’s memory of contacts and other stored information.
- Manually delete all information, and follow instructions from your wireless carrier or the product manual on how to conduct a factory hard reset; or
- Use data erasing tools that are available on the Web. One tool can be found at www.wirelessrecycling.com, look for phone data eraser.
Remove your SIM card and shred or cut it in half. If you are not sure if your phone uses a SIM card or if you need assistance removing your SIM card, contact your service provider or manufacturer.

For more information regarding deleting information from a cell phone, contact the cell phone recycling program you plan to use.

How do I recycle my cell phone, batteries and accessories?

Drop them off or mail them in. Cell phones and their accessories can be recycled easily and conveniently. Cell phone recycling programs can be accessed from every state in the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and Guam. Many cell phone retailers, manufacturers, and service providers have ongoing programs where you can drop off, or mail in your used wireless phones, regardless of the age or model. Some charitable organizations and state or municipal solid waste programs also offer cell phone recycling. In almost all cases the recycling service is provided for free.

Which wireless devices can be reused or recycled?

Most wireless devices and their accessories have material that can either be reused or recycled:

Wireless phone handsets;
Personal digital assistants (PDAs) that operate on wireless networks;
Blackberries;
Wireless computer cards; and
Accessories such as spare batteries, phone chargers, cables, headsets, earpieces, cases, clips and cradles.

The ability to reuse the equipment is dependent on how old the equipment is and the current demand for the specific models on the cellular marketplace. If the material can not be reused, it will be recycled for material recovery.

What happens to a cell phone after it is collected?

Once a cell phone is dropped off at a participating retail store, or mailed in, the product typically will be packaged and shipped to a recycling facility for evaluation. The used phone is typically inspected for:

Reuse: If wireless devices and accessories are in good working condition they can be cleaned up and returned to service. In other cases, the phone is disassembled and the parts are reused;
Refurbishment: Many wireless devices may be reconditioned or repaired and returned to service; or
Recycling: When wireless devices reach their end-of-life, they are sent to processing facilities that recover and recycle the reusable materials.

Are cell phones designed in an environmentally responsible way?

Wireless manufacturers are making great strides in designing new phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) to be more environmentally friendly in all stages of the phones' life cycle. New generations of mobile phones are designed to meet the European RoHS Directive which means they use less toxic material; while maximizing the use of recyclable materials such as metals and plastic. The new phones are lighter and more compact than earlier models, reducing the amount of packaging and the number of trucks needed to transport the product. Much of the packaging uses recyclable materials, generates less waste and is designed to facilitate more efficient transportation. The power cords for today's phones and the networks on which they operate also have been designed to be more energy efficient than telecommunication equipment of the past. End-of -life management of the product also is considered during design, making phones easier to disassemble for reuse of parts and recycling.

Benefits of Reuse/Recycling

What are the environmental benefits of reusing and recycling e-waste?

Electronic products are made from valuable resources, such as precious and other metals, plastics, and glass, all of which require energy to mine and manufacture them. Reusing and recycling these materials from end-of-life electronics conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing new products.

What environmental benefits do we get from recycling cell phones?

Recycling your cell phone helps protect the environment in a number of ways. Cell phones are made from valuable resources such as precious metals, copper, and plastics —all of which require energy to mine and process. Recovering these materials by recycling avoids the need to mine and process new materials, which in turn, conserves our natural resources, and avoids air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. For example, if the 100 million cell phones ready for end of life management in 2006 had been recycled ¹, we would have saved enough energy to power approximately 194,000² US households with electricity for one year.

How does recycling cell phones reduce mining of metals?

Cell phones have a number of different metals in them which can be recycled – copper, gold, silver, and palladium. Take gold, for example. If we recycled 100 million cell phones, 3.4 metric tons of gold could be recovered³ - allowing that amount of gold to enter back into production without being mined. Because the mining and processing steps were avoided, 5 .5 million tons⁴ of loose soil, sand, and rock would not have to be moved and large quantities of waste also would be avoided. Another result is that substantially less fuel would be used, dramatically reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases.

Similar calculations could be made for the other metals used in the manufacture of cell phones. 100 million cell phones contain 1600 metric tons of copper, 35 metric tons of silver, and 1.5 metric tons of palladium⁵.

What are the social benefits to recycling cell phones?

If the cell phone and its accessories are in good working condition, some collection programs donate them to a number of worthy charities or provide them for sale to those who need them. In addition, many reuse and recycling programs use the proceeds of their programs to benefit charitable organizations, such as domestic violence, environmental causes, children’s safety, etc. Other recycling programs work with schools and other organizations to collect cell phones as fundraising ventures. There are also programs that provide cash back to the consumer who donates the phone.

Electronics Recycler Certification

Where can I get a list of electronics recyclers?

For a list of recyclers you may want to check with your state agency that deals with recycling, such as the state Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Quality, or Department of Commerce. If you are a homeowner you may want to check with your local municipality or solid waste district to learn if they have electronics collection programs or events. The Consumer Electronics Association , Electronic Industries Alliance , and Earth 911 Web sites identify electronic equipment recyclers in many areas around the country. Also, many of the electronic manufacturers offer recycling free or for a fee, visit their Web sites for information about programs they may offer.

How can I choose a recycler with sound recycling practices?

While EPA does not have “approved methods” for electronic recyclers, we do encourage safe recycling practices. We have issued a set of voluntary Guidelines for Material Management under our Plug-In to eCycling Program. Look for recyclers that adhere to these practices.

These guidelines encourage anyone who handles used electronic equipment to:

Maximize reuse, refurbishment, and recycling over disposal and incineration;
Take precautions to reduce emissions and exposures to workers and the environment;
Provide special handling of components which may contain substances of concern;
Ensure that exported electronic products are being sent for legitimate reuse, recycling or refurbishment; and
Ensure that downstream recycling, refurbishing and disposal facilities follow management practices that are consistent with the guidelines.

In addition, EPA has developed recycling audit tools to be used by the Federal government to determine which electronic equipment recyclers to use. Visit the End of Life Management page on the Federal Electronics Challenge Web site to find these tools. Among the tools provided is a Checklist for the Selection of Electronics Reuse and Recycling Services (PDF) (4 pp, 105K, about PDF) which can serve as a guide in selecting a recycler. This guide can also help the user of electronics recycling services make an informed choice regarding their electronics recycling needs.

Both of these resources provide information about what questions to ask when evaluating recyclers. It's important to remember that each recycler may follow different processes, and you will need to decide which electronics recycler will do the job you need done, offer the services you need, and minimize your environmental and informational liability at an acceptable cost.

What certification programs are available for electronics recyclers?

There are several certification programs for recyclers. Some programs are specific to electronics; others provide more general environmental assurances.

These include:

A recycler may voluntarily achieve any of these certifications. Please note, however, that if an electronics recycler does not have one of these certifications, it does not necessarily mean that they do not recycle electronics in a safe and environmentally-sound way. Certification is a rigorous and sometimes expensive process that not all companies will choose to pursue. In addition, if a recycler is certified, you still should ask questions about the recycler’s processes and services to make an informed decision about whether your electronic equipment will be handled in an environmentally sound manner. The Federal Electronics Challenge provides a Checklist for the Selection of Electronic Recycling Services (PDF) (4 pp, 105K, about PDF) to assist you.

Will EPA have a certification program for electronic recyclers?

US EPA does not have, or plan to have, a certification program for electronic recyclers. However, EPA is working with stakeholders (i.e., states, e-manufacturers, e-recyclers, trade associations and public interest groups) to develop one agreed upon set of practices that can be used in a voluntary certification program which assures the environmental performance of electronic recyclers. This program is expected to be run by private organizations, not EPA. Nearly 20 iterations of the “responsible recycler” practices document have been drafted to-date, and the group is still working to resolve several important issues. The draft document has recently been reviewed by experienced facility auditors, and field testing of the document is expected to take place in the next several months.

An electronics recycler gave me a number that they said was their 'EPA number.' What does this number mean?

EPA assigns an EPA Waste Generator Identification Number to companies that handle regulated wastes. Due to the diverse processes and the type of equipment, not all electronic recyclers are required to have an EPA ID number. The Identification Number is used to track wastes from one generator to another. It is not a permit, certification, or any kind of EPA approval of their activities. For more information on Waste Generator Identification Numbers, visit the EPA Waste ID Number page.

Plug-In To eCycling

What is the Plug-In To eCycling Program?

Plug-In To eCycling is a partnership between EPA and electronic manufacturers and retailers to offer consumers more opportunities to donate or recycle their used electronics. Plug-In To eCycling pilots innovative on-the-ground solutions that can be expanded to sustainable local, regional and national collection and recycling infrastructures. The program’s initiatives are intended to reflect shared responsibility among manufacturers, retailers, governments and consumers. Such efforts demonstrate how voluntary industry-led models or public-private partnerships can complement existing state or municipality-led collection and recycling efforts.

Partners design and implement various approaches—either national or regional in scope—to give individuals ecycling options. Partners might offer online takeback or trade-in programs, create partnerships with local organizations to facilitate collections, host collection events at retail locations, and support local recycling events with cities and municipalities.

All Plug-In partners have committed to work with recyclers who meet or exceed EPA’s Guidelines for Materials Management, the Agency’s voluntary guidelines for safe electronics recycling.

What is the Plug-in to eCycling "Recycle Your Cell Phone. It's an Easy Call" Campaign?

As cell phones, computers, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) become more prominent in our everyday lives, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking steps to encourage consumers to recycle these products instead of adding them to our nation’s landfills. As part of this initiative, EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling program has teamed up with leading cell phone makers, service providers, and retailers to launch a national campaign encouraging Americans to recycle or donate their unwanted cell phones. The “Recycle Your Cell Phone. It’s An Easy Call” campaign aims to increase the public’s awareness of cell phone recycling and donation opportunities, with the ultimate goal of increasing the nation’s cell phone recycling rate. Plug-In To eCycling partners supporting this campaign are: AT&T, Best Buy, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, Office Depot, Palm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sprint, Staples, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless.

To kick off the initiative, the Campaign has released a series of print public service announcements - found in our eCycling partner resource center - that tout the convenience and environmental and social benefits of recycling a cell phone. EPA has also released a series of eCycling podcasts featuring experts in the electronics recycling field discussing the many ways that consumers can reuse and recycle their electronics and addressing many common questions and concerns. During 2008, look for the Campaign to host special cell phone collection events and increase publicity for our partners’ recycling programs.

EPA has targeted cell phone recycling because, despite the large number of programs, most consumers still do not know where or how they can recycle their cell phones. Consequently, less than 20 percent of unwanted cell phones are recycled each year. Recycling cell phones leads to significant environmental savings and can benefit communities.

What have the Plug-In To eCycling Program partners achieved?

As a result of their collaborative efforts in 2007, Plug-In partners recycled or reused over 47 million pounds of electronics from consumers, mostly computers, televisions, and cell phones. The environmental benefit of recycling these electronics is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from approximately 24,000 passenger cars. Since the Plug- In program’s inception in 2003, partners have recycled over 142 million pounds of electronics via collaborative and voluntary efforts. More information is available at Plug-In To eCycling.

¹ US EPA Management of Electronic Waste in the United States (April 2007)

² Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator

³ US Geological Survey “Recycled Cell Phones - A Treasure Trove of Valuable Metals” (PDF) (4 pp, 323K, about PDF) (July 2006)

⁴1 metric ton is equivalent to 32,150.7 troy ounces; 4.5 metric tons of gold equals 144,678.15 troy ounces. Assuming there is 0.02 troy ounces per ton or rock3, it will take 50 tons of rock to produce 1 ounce of gold. To calculate the total tons of rock mined to produce 144,678.15 troy ounces you multiply 144,678.15 x 50= 7,233,907 tons.

⁵ US Geological Survey “Recycled Cell Phones - A Treasure Trove of Valuable Metals” (PDF) (4 pp, 323K, about PDF) (July 2006)

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.