What electronic equipment is recyclable?
Chances are that most electronic products that still work could find a home elsewhere – whether resold or donated. If the product no longer works, most of its materials can be recovered and recycled. The challenge is getting those products into the recycling system efficiently and cost effectively. For years the design of electronic products did not incorporate strategies for efficient disassembly and component/materials recycling. These inefficiencies create high costs for the recycling of older electronic equipment. New design strategies are incorporating techniques like “design for disassembly” (DfD), design for environment (DfE) and design for recycling (DfR) to create greater efficiencies in recovering the materials in electronic products. As products more fully embody design attributes that facilitate high performance during use and efficient material recovery at end of use, a greater percentage of the materials in electronics products will be recyclable.
Chances are that most electronic products that still work could find a home elsewhere whether resold or donated. If the product no longer works, most of its materials can be recovered and recycled. The challenge is getting those products into the recycling system efficiently and cost effectively. For years the design of electronic products did not incorporate strategies for efficient disassembly and component/materials recycling. These inefficiencies create high costs for the recycling of older electronic equipment. New design strategies are incorporating techniques like design for disassembly (DfD), design for environment (DfE) and design for recycling (DfR) to create greater efficiencies in recovering the materials in electronic products. As products more fully embody design attributes that facilitate high performance during use and efficient material recovery at end of use, a greater percentage of the materials in electronics products will be recyclable.
