Electronics
recycling is the wave of the future. It is a great way of saving money,
of making money, and of saving the environment all at the same time.
Everyone has an old electronic gadget laying around and collecting dust
somewhere, It could be an old printer, or a copy machine. It might be a
cell phone or an old TV. Could be an old computer, or an old stereo.
Anything with circuit boards is an electronic gadget, even something as
simple as a remote control.

First
let’s talk about how you don’t recycle electronics. You don’t recycle
them by throwing them in a landfill. You don’t recycle them by tossing
them down the bank on some back road. You don’t recycle them by tossing
them in a heap in the woods on your back 40. These might seem like
simple solutions, but they aren’t. They hurt the environment and can
cost you money.

So how does electronics recycling work? Well,
there are many ways. You could give them to a charitable organization
such as Absolute Green Electronics Recycling and receive a tax
deduction. You could give an old computer and printer to your church.
You might donate something to your local library or senior center. There
are many worthy places for the donation of old electronics. I’m sure
you can think of a few more on your own.

Another method of
recycling electronics is to sell them. There are many ways to do this.
Have a yard sale. Put an advertisement in your local newspaper. Offer it
to family and friends. don’t forget your local pawn shop. You can sell
your old electronic gadgets online at EBay or other auction sites.
Amazon is a good site for selling electronic gadgets. You’ll be saving
money, making money, and saving the environment.

Many communities
offer recycling pickup once or twice a year. You put your electronic
material that you want to recycle in special containers, or just leave
it on the curb. The city picks it up and sends it to recycle centers.
Many stores offer electronics recycling also. Some accept your gadgets
free, some pay you, and some charge you a small fee for certain objects.
There are many companies that just do electronic recycling. They will
pick up your items or you can drop them off. These companies are a
simple solution to getting rid of items you don’t want anymore.

So
what does electronic recycling have to do with saving the environment?
Electronic gadgets can contain over 100 toxic substances such as lead,
chromium, and mercury. When improperly disposed of these can leak into
the soil and ground water making it unsafe to use or drink. Although
studies have said that throwing electronics in landfills is safe there
are many people who have their doubts.

Electronics also contain
useful and precious metals such as nickel, copper, and gold. These can
be recycled which cuts the need for environmentally damaging strip
mining. Thousands of miles of copper wire are just thrown away each
year.

As you can see electronics recycling will help in saving money and greatly aid in saving the environment.