Let's face it, Americans discard roughly 2.25 million tons of computer, printers, cell phones and other electronics. Seems like the new I-phone comes out and people run buck wild to the apple store to grab the next hot number, but sadly 82% of these once coveted gadgets end up in landfills. If you want to make a difference in your workplace, look to see if your organization has a recycling program in place for electronics. The majority of the electronic devices can be reused or recycled and your program can also include personal electronics from your employee’s homes, so your reach can extend beyond your company, and into the homes of every employee.

There are some exceptions so review the following to better understand what can and cannot be recycled. Sometimes electronics are cast away not because they do not work, but because there is a replacement or a faster etc model. I see this with cellphones and lap tops all the time, however, devices that are still working might be able to be given to someone in need, so this allows the device to be reused versus being recycled- Reusing a device is the highest form of recycling. There are many rotary clubs and other organizations that take cell phones and other electronics that are still functional. Free-cycling sites are another avenue, as they are typically local sites that offer ‘free” products to folks willing to come pick them up. You could post items in bulk and have folks stop by to pick up at specific hours. The National Center for Electronics Recycling, a non-profit group based in West Virginia has a website where you can find more information about drop-off centers- www.electronicrecycling.org. mygreenelectronics.org allows searches by zip code and is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association.

Another option is to bring smaller electronics back to big chain stores, such as Best Buy and Staples, who allow you to drop off most electronics for recycling. Also earth911.com is a public-private partnership which lets you search for recycling locations by type of electronic and address.

Items such as TV’s and computer monitors can be classified as hazardous by the federal government, which is why some places might not accept them for recycling. Cathode ray tubes have a decent amount of lead in them and they can leach over time. Batteries also contain heavy metals which are very bad for the environment, so make sure they are disposed of properly as well. RadioShack, Best Buy, Home Depot and Lowes all participate in a national recycling program for rechargeable batteries. Regular alkaline batteries don’t have an easy process to recycle so sadly they still end up in the landfill. Which makes a good point for a business to purchase re-chargeable batteries versus alkaline. By doing so you can make sure there are NO batteries from the business ending up in a landfill.

Check with some of your technology vendors as more are offering free recycling, such as Apple, Dell, Samsung, Sony and IBM. For example, IBM makes it easy and economical for a business to recycle 1 to 250 pieces of IBM and non-IBM equipment. IBM Asset Recovery Solutions now offers a recycling service for assets without market value in accordance with applicable United States federal, state, and local laws.

So as you move forward in your quest to adhere to the three "R"'s Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, make sure you incorporate your electronics into the plan, which might involve bringing up this goal to your vendor when you purchase new equipment. Those that support this effort are more inclined to even extend that "cradle to grave" approach to their manufacturing, so the components might be able to be re-used some day and as such would have a value for the manufacturer to reclaim them.