Old/Broken Electronics – Where do they end up?

One thing that separates 123JUNK from our competition is transparency. We think it is important to keep our client’s in the loop about where the items we haul away end up. Our 1-2-3 process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose is the foundation of our brand, and although we market it as a simple process there is actually a lot that goes into it behind the scenes. At 123JUNK we work diligently to establish and maintain good relationships with our Charity and Recycling Partners who help us re-purpose as much “junk” as possible, so it doesn’t end up in the landfill. Thanks to our friends over at Forever Green Recycle and other local recycling partners, we know that all the electronics we haul away are recycled responsibly, minimizing any harm to our environment. 

Electronics recycling is a tricky business. In the modern economy technology is moving at an incredibly fast pace. Gadgets and gizmos are becoming out-dated and deemed “valueless” quicker and quicker. After all, why would you pay to fix your old TV set to give it a few more years of life when you could buy a brand new one with a better picture for almost the exact same price? 

In the past much of the electronic waste produced in the United States was shipped overseas and improperly disposed of in 3rd world countries, causing significant harm to people as well as the environment. There are a lot of hazardous byproducts of the electronic waste we create. For example, lead and mercury are common elements found in Computers and TVs. Due to a lack of regulation much of the electronic waste produced in the United States used to be shipped overseas, where it poisoned water supplies and exposed unsuspecting victims to these harmful byproducts. 

Today, companies like Forever Green Recycle are leading the way to help recycle our electronic waste responsibly, minimizing our impact on the environment both at home and abroad. The electronics we take them are never disposed of through the local landfill, nor do they end up in 3rd world countries causing unseen harm! Through all of our recycling partners, all electonics are first triaged for reuse. If the items are not reusable, then they are disassembled by US workers to the commodity level, i.e. aluminum, copper, circuit boards, metal and plastic.

We would like to thank our friends like Forever Green Recycling for their efforts to help us keep our planet just a little bit greener! Check out their website to learn more about their recycling process as well as the harmful effects of improper electronic waste disposal.