Electronics Recycling

A Comprehensive Guide

E-waste recycling is gaining momentum. How could it not? Consider the number of electronic devices you own personally and those you have access to professionally. Now, multiply that by the number of people worldwide enjoying access to smartphones, laptops, televisions, and other electronics.

Recycling electronics is an important step businesses can take to recover value from their electronics, conserve resources, and contribute to global sustainability goals by taking an environmentally friendly approach to IT asset disposal.

The process to recycle e-waste has several stages to prevent misuse or environmental risks, ensure recovery of valuable materials, and support reuse and resale of components.

This guide explores what is involved in responsibly recycling electronic devices and the role you can play in conserving resources, reducing pollution, and promoting a healthier planet for future generations.

What is Electronic Recycling?

Electronic recycling refers to the process of recovering valuable materials from discarded electronic devices and ensuring that hazardous components are disposed of safely. Recycling e-waste is essential for managing electronic waste responsibly, protecting the environment, and conserving resources.

The e-waste recycling market continues to grow. Market Research Future valued the 2023 market at USD 30.4 billion in 2023 and projected it would grow to USD 34.5 billion in 2024. By the end of the forecast period, the market was expected to enjoy a compound annual growth rate of 13.4% to reach USD 94.2 billion by 2032.

Recycle old monitors and electronics responsibly for a cleaner environment

Why is the e-waste recycling process seeing such growth? Several reasons can be considered, including: 

  • Rising usage of electronic equipment
  • Shortening lifecycle of electronics
  • More awareness of potential hazards associated with improper disposal or electronics ending up in landfills
  • Increased recognition of the importance of making environmentally friendly choices

What E-Waste Should be Recycled?

The list of electronics that can be recycled includes a wide range of devices and components. Anything with an electrical plug, battery, or circuit board should be recycled to reduce waste and avoid environmental contamination. This includes:

  • IT and telecommunications equipment (e.g., computers, laptops, smartphones, printers, scanners, batteries, modems, routers)
  • Office equipment (e.g., photocopiers, fax machines, televisions, cameras, camcorders, audio equipment, power cords, chargers)
  • Large appliances (e.g., refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, ovens)
  • Small appliances (e.g., toasters, blenders, coffee machines)
  • Lighting equipment (e.g., fluorescent tubes and lamps, LED bulbs)
A healthcare institution might also have medical devices (e.g., thermometers, blood pressure monitors, glucose meters) to recycle. Or a school might have learning toys, sewing machines, saws, or electronic games to dispose of properly.

Benefits of Recycling E-Waste

Electronic waste is a growing problem. The world’s e-waste generation is far outstripping the effort to recycle e-waste. According to the United Nation’s Global E-waste Monitor 2024, the world generated 62 million metric tons of e-waste in 2022.  That would fill, “roughly enough trucks to form a bumper-to-bumper line encircling the equator.” Plus, the level of e-waste is projected to reach 82 million metric tons by 2030.

Yet, the report also said under a quarter of the world’s e-waste was properly collected and recycled in 2022. That meant electronic waste was rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling.

Recycling helps reduce the volume of e-waste that ends up in landfills, where it can take up space and contribute to pollution. But that’s not the only advantage. Responsible electronics recycling yields a wide range of benefits, encompassing environmental preservation, economic stimulation, and adherence to regulatory standards.

Recovers resources

Most electronic products contain metals, plastics, glass and other materials. Many also contain valuable metals like gold, silver, copper, and rare earth elements that can be recovered and reused.

The amount of e-waste generated globally is stunning. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that recycling one million laptops can save the equivalent of the energy used to power more than 3,500 homes. Recycling cell phones also makes a difference. Copper (35,000 pounds), silver (772 pounds), gold (75 pounds) and palladium (33 pounds) are among the natural resources that can be recovered from one million recycled phones.

Counters pollution

Proper recycling process prevents harmful substances like lead, mercury, and cadmium from contaminating the environment. These can leach into the soil and water if not properly disposed of, but recycling prevents these toxic materials from contaminating the environment. This reduces the risk of public health problems related to e-waste exposure. 

Cuts carbon emissions

Recycling e-waste decreases the demand for new raw materials. This helps to preserve ecosystems and reduce environmental degradation associated with mining activities.

Using materials recovered from e-waste in new electronics also supports sustainable manufacturing and reduces the amount of energy required to build new. For example, recycling aluminum saves up to 95% of the energy required to produce it from bauxite ore.

Offers economic benefits

In many cases, organizations can recoup money invested in the purchase of electronic components and devices. Recovered capital can be invested in new innovations and technological purchases.

This process supports the economy by creating jobs in the collection, processing, manual sorting, and resale of materials. 

Supports corporate social responsibility

Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability can enhance business reputation and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. This is increasingly important as consumers are paying more attention today to whether a business is working to make the world a better place.

Encourages responsible consumption

Growing awareness of the e-waste recycling process and its importance may encourage consumers and manufacturers to make more conscientious choices around electronics. Instead of rapidly disposing of devices in favor of the next, new offering, individuals or organizations might instead opt for more sustainable options.

This could mean making use of electronics for longer, encouraging manufacturers to use more sustainable products, or considering more carefully what usable components are available in every electronic.

Meets legal and compliance needs

Recycling helps businesses in many countries comply with laws and regulations governing the proper disposal of e-waste. This helps them to avoid fines and penalties while contributing to broader environmental goals.

Step-By-Step Guide to the E-Waste Recycling Process

Understanding the main stages of e-recycling equips you to make responsible and informed decisions about electronic waste disposal. This knowledge helps you contribute to environmental sustainability, support the circular economy, comply with legal requirements, and protect both personal and public health.

This step-by-step guide can help you to understand all that is involved in this process. Ultimately, it empowers you to play a part in reducing the negative impacts of e-waste on the planet and society.

Collection

Secure Collection

Removal of hazardous components

Shredding

Materials recovery

Refining

Safe disposal

Collection

The first step in e-waste recycling is collecting obsolete or discarded electronic devices. Some retailers and manufacturers offer take-back programs, but otherwise your organization will need to work with a certified ITAD provider to facilitate the process. Sophisticated providers can assess your devices for resale, reuse, repair, or recycling.

A certified electronic recycling  company can help your organization track the types and quantities of e-waste collected to improve process efficiency and provide necessary reporting to comply with regulatory requirements.

ITAMG truck parked outdoors, providing secure disposal for surplus computers, IT equipment recycling, liquidation, and services for selling used IT equipment.
Sorting and pre-processing

Once all e-waste is collected, the next step is to sort items by type (e.g., computers, phones, or office equipment) to streamline the process. Detailed information is recorded for each device, including manufacturer, model, serial number, and asset tag. This crucial step enables certified recyclers to provide comprehensive reports to their clients on collected and processed items.

Devices containing sensitive data or any media undergo secure erasure in line with organizational data sanitization policies, adhering at minimum to the NIST 800-88 standard.

Next, devices are assessed for potential reuse, component recovery, or recycling. This evaluation determines their viability in secondary markets. Many devices, while obsolete for one organization, can serve others for years, supporting digital inclusion and ESG initiatives through donations.

For devices unsuitable for reuse, valuable components like processors, RAM, hard drives, screens, and keyboards are salvaged before final processing.

ITAD technician scanning hard drives for secure data destruction at ITAMG's ITAD facility in New York.

Further sorting occurs based on material composition – metals, plastics, glass, precious metals, and hazardous substances. For instance, devices rich in ferrous and non-ferrous metals are grouped together, while those predominantly plastic or containing harmful materials are separated.

Certain e-waste types contain hazardous elements that require special handling during processing. For example, batteries or cathode ray tubes need careful attention to prevent leaks or contamination.

Removal of hazardous components

E-waste containing toxic chemicals require specialized procedures to ensure both environmental and workplace safety.

This could include:

  • Batteries (especially those containing lithium or lead) because they pose a fire risk and contain hazardous chemicals.
  • Cathode ray tubes in older televisions and monitors, which contain a toxic leaded glass
Shredding

Items that cannot be reused are generally shredded to facilitate recovery of valuable materials. Industrial shredders can efficiently break down electronic waste into smaller pieces, making it easier to separate materials out in the next stage.

This stage can generate dust and potentially harmful emissions. Typically, shredding is done in settings with dust extraction and filtration systems set up to contain particles and ensure safety while reducing environmental impact.

Stacked laptops ready for disposal, awaiting proper recycling or e-waste processing
Materials recovery
After shredding, various techniques are employed to separate out the different materials that can be recycled. This could include:
  • Magnetic separation: Uses magnets to isolate ferrous metals such as iron and steel
  • Eddy current separation: Magnetic fields induce currents to eject non-ferrous materials such as aluminum and copper
  • Optical sorting: Uses cameras and sensors to sort out items like plastic or glass which can be detected by their reflectivity or color
  • Density sorting: Items have different densities in a liquid medium (e.g., plastics float, metals sink)
  • Air separation: Separates lighter materials from heavier materials and helps remove dust and other fine particles from the shredded waste
  • Chemical processing: Metals such as gold can be recovered with chemical leaching processes.
Workers may also be involved in manual inspections and quality control to determine material purity, ensure process effectiveness, and check that nothing valuable has been missed. 
Refining
Some materials require further refining to ensure they can be reused. This could involve different approaches:
  • Smelting metals or dissolving metals in a solution and then sending an electric current through the solution to separate out impurities.
  • Mixing metals with others to create a different useful material (e.g., combining copper with zinc produces brass)
  • Identifying plastics by their polymer type to avoid mixing different types (e.g., HDPE or PVC)
  • Decontaminating and cleaning plastics to rid them of impurities
  • Melting down cleaned plastics into pellets or granules that can be used in production of new products
  • Processing non-leaded glass into smaller pieces (cullets), which can be melted and reformed into new products
  • Using chemical processes to dissolve metals and separate and purify precious metals
  • Extracting rare earth elements using chemical extraction methods for use in new high-tech products, such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced electronics.
Some materials may need to be certified to ensure they meet specific industry standards. Once materials are refined, they are packaged and shipped to manufacturers who will use them to produce new products. For example, purified metals might be sent to electronics manufacturers, while recycled plastics could be used in automotive parts production. Some whole components can be refurbished and reused as is, such as batteries or circuit boards.
Safe disposal

This entire process works to recycle, recover, and reuse as much as possible. Still, there will be non-recyclable and hazardous materials that require environmentally responsible handling to avoid risk.

Materials such as lead, lithium, cadmium, mercury, or asbestos may need to be stabilized with chemical to neutralize the harmful properties. Or they might be encapsulated in a stable material to prevent toxin release.

Additionally, any residual waste from the earlier stages of the process, particularly non-recyclable materials or contaminated substances, must be safely disposed of in accordance with environmental regulations.

ITAD professional scanning and handling IT equipment in a professional ITAD facility

Challenges of E-Waste Recycling

Reducing pollution, reducing energy use, and improving access to valuable resources motivate many to recycle. Yet, while recycling strategies are essential to sustainability, these processes do face several challenges

These can include the following:

Improper disposal of devices like smartphones, computers, and hard drives can lead to data breaches if sensitive information is not securely erased before recycling Rapid pace of technological innovation means new materials and designs constantly introduced that recyclers need to keep up with Electronics contain many different types of materials, which can make the process quite complex Hazardous substances like lead, mercury, cadmium pose safety risks to workers and the community if they are not properly handled Recovering and refining materials calls for specialized equipment and skilled labor, which can be costly The prices of materials recovered via the process can fluctuate dramatically, which can impact the business returns from the e-waste disposal procedure Regulations governing e-waste recycling can add the need for particular practices, more detailed record keeping, and evidence for audits Products may not be designed for recycling which can make sorting, processing, and removing valuable components more challenging

Conclusion

E-waste recycling is a multistage process which can face several challenges. Nevertheless, with electronics so essential to business today, it is important for organizations to prioritize recycling for their electronics. Effective recycling is a sustainable solution that can bring many benefits, including helping conserve natural resources and reducing pollution.

FAQs

What is Electronics Recycling?
Electronics recycling involves recovering valuable materials from discarded electronic devices and ensuring hazardous components are safely disposed of to prevent environmental harm. IT Asset Management Group (ITAMG) provides comprehensive recycling and data destruction services for e-waste, ensuring regulatory compliance and secure handling of sensitive data.
Why is Electronics Recycling Important?

Recycling electronics reduces landfill waste, conserves natural resources, and prevents pollution. The United Nations estimates that only about 20% of e-waste is properly recycled globally, which underscores the need for responsible e-waste handling. ITAMG’s services ensure that e-waste is managed sustainably, safeguarding both data security and environmental health.

Which Electronic Devices Can Be Recycled?

Most devices with a plug or battery can be recycled. This includes computers, smartphones, TVs, printers, and office equipment. ITAMG handles a wide range of electronics through environmentally responsible recycling and refurbishing methods, maximizing material recovery.

What Happens During the Electronics Recycling Process?
The e-waste recycling process includes collection, sorting, data destruction, dismantling, and material recovery. Reusable parts are salvaged, while hazardous materials are carefully processed to prevent environmental damage. ITAMG’s R2-certified processes ensure safe and effective e-waste recycling at every stage.
How Does Electronics Recycling Benefit the Environment?
Recycling reduces pollution by diverting toxic substances like lead and mercury from landfills. It also conserves energy and raw materials, such as metals and plastics, which reduces the need for new resource extraction. ITAMG’s sustainable approach supports a circular economy, helping organizations meet environmental goals.
Is Electronics Recycling Free?
Costs can vary depending on the type of device and the services required, such as secure data destruction. ITAMG provides transparent pricing, aligning services with business needs and regulatory requirements.
Can Electronics Really Be Recycled?
Yes, nearly all components in electronic devices can be recycled or repurposed. ITAMG uses industry-leading processes to extract and recycle valuable metals, plastics, and other materials from electronics.
What is E-Waste, and Why is it a Global Concern?
E-waste, or electronic waste, includes discarded electronic devices. It poses significant environmental risks due to hazardous materials that can leach into soil and water. ITAMG’s certified recycling processes minimize these risks by ensuring safe and secure e-waste management.
What Materials Are Recycled from Electronics?
Electronics contain valuable materials like gold, copper, and rare earth metals. Plastics, glass, and even certain components can be reused. ITAMG prioritizes responsible recycling to maximize material recovery and minimize waste.
How Does Electronics Recycling Support Data Security?
Recycling e-waste includes secure data destruction to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information. ITAMG offers NIST-compliant data wiping and physical destruction services, ensuring data privacy throughout the recycling process.
What is the WEEE Directive, and Does It Affect Electronics Recycling?
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is a European regulation that mandates the recycling of electronics to reduce environmental impact. ITAMG’s recycling practices are in line with global standards, including the WEEE Directive, providing compliant solutions for international clients.
Are There Certifications for Electronics Recycling Facilities?
Yes, certifications like R2 and e-Stewards indicate that a facility follows high standards for data security and environmental practices. ITAMG’s R2-certified facilities ensure that electronic waste is managed responsibly and in compliance with these standards.
How Does ITAMG Ensure Environmentally Responsible Electronics Recycling?
ITAMG follows stringent environmental standards, including R2 and EPA guidelines, to manage e-waste safely. Its comprehensive recycling process includes material recovery, responsible disposal of hazardous substances, and data security.
What is the Role of Data Destruction in Electronics Recycling?
Data destruction is crucial to prevent data breaches and unauthorized access. ITAMG offers data wiping, degaussing, and physical destruction to secure sensitive information before recycling electronic devices.
How Can Businesses Benefit from ITAMG's Electronics Recycling Services?
ITAMG offers a one-stop solution for asset disposition, combining recycling, data destruction, and environmental compliance. Partnering with ITAMG helps businesses meet regulatory standards, reduce environmental impact, and protect sensitive data.