Today, Doug and Taylor of Maggie's Organics took a trip to Recycle Ann Arbor's Drop-off Station to safely dispose of some of the electronic waste that has been accumulating in our warehouse over the years. We submitted 30 fluorescent lightbulbs, two computer monitors, four computer towers (with hard drives removed), and three printers. Today is a great day to be Tom, our warehouse manager, who had to work around this junk.
With the current rate at which electronics become obsolete, e-cycling (the recycling of electronics), is becoming more important than ever. The chemicals (liquid, solid, or gas) present in many electronics can be very harmful if released into the environment. And so it is important to dispose of electronics at a reputable and responsible e-cycling center - some of the free e-cycling drives have been accused have shipping electronics overseas to be sold in the third world, creating terrible environmental hazards and unsafe working conditions. Some e-cycling centers, like the one we visited in Ann Arbor, may have a small per-item charge that allows them to continue recycling the hazardous waste without having to resort to irresponsible disposal practices.
It is important to note that in most places, you cannot recycle electronics by just putting them in your recycling bin at home. Typically you will either need to take them to a recycling center, or a special recycling event. Some organizations may offer at-home pickup of your electronic waste. To see how you can responsibly dispose of your electronics in you area, visit ecyclingcentral.com.
