You can save a lot of money, and reduce waste, by reusing electronics in your Baie-Comeau home or office. And sometimes, if someone wasn't careful, you can find some crazy stuff left on a hard drive. You should see some of the strange sci-fi stories this George McFly character left on this computer, strange stuff!
Electronics can contain lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, nickel, zinc, and/or brominated flame-retardants. When electronics are not disposed of or recycled properly, these toxic materials can present problems. You can reduce the environmental impact of electronics at the end of their useful life through donation and recycling.
Donating
Donating working electronics and game consoles saves valuable resources by extending the life of the products. Working electronics can be donated to community groups, local schools and nonprofit organizations. If you can, include original software and licensing information with the donated equipment. Be sure to erase personal data before donating these items.
Recycling
Broken electronics and computers too outdated to donate can be recycled, this is also known as eCycling. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides information about regional and state eCycling programs. You may also wish to check with your product's manufacturer to see if they will take back or trade in your product for recycling. See if your retailer has an in-store collection program or if they are hosting an electronics collection event. In addition, local governments often collect electronics as part of their household hazardous waste management program.
You may also wish to view the EPA's "Plug-In to eCycling" web page. Plug-In to eCycling is a partnership between the EPA and consumer electronics manufacturers, retailers and service providers that offers more opportunities to donate or recycle your used electronics. The Plug-In to eCycling program has also teamed up with leading cell phone manufacturers, service providers and retailers to encourage Americans to recycle their cell phones and accessories.
The United States Postal Service's (USPS) recycling program, called Mail Back, also allows consumers to discard used or obsolete small electronics in an environmentally responsible way. The program provides free, postage-paid envelopes at 1,500 USPS locations throughout 10 cities. If the electronic item or cartridges cannot be refurbished and resold, its component parts are reused to refurbish other items, or the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled. There is no limit to the number of envelopes customers may take, and additional locations will be made available if the program is successful.
Please note: While the federal government does not regulate household disposal of unwanted computers and televisions, it does require businesses and institutions to properly dispose of or recycle these materials. Organizations recycling or disposing of electronics should check state regulatory requirements, which may be different from federal requirements. For information on regulatory requirements applicable to businesses and institutions, please visit the EPA's web site.
For more information on where you can donate or recycle your old electronic products, please visit the EPA's web site.
Finally, you may also wish to view the following information: